People’s activities in each of the four seasons of the year

Autumn

Significant features of people’ activities in autumn are:

• Harvesting of agricultural crops (potatoes, beetroot, grapes, cabbage and other fruits and vegetables). In sugar factories sugar beet is processed, starch factories and distilleries make starch from potatoes and alcohol. Cabbage is cut up and pickled in barrels in order to ferment. Canning factories and freezing plants process crops of fruit and vegetables. Likewise happens in families.

• Ploughing and harrowing of fields are under way. In some fields winter cereals are sown. In warmer regions grape harvest is carried out.

• In gardens trees, bushes and herbs are planted (bulbous plans etc.)

• Typical fish harvests of ponds and their preparation for winter take place.

• Hunting is common. Ceremonial display of wildlife hunted mark the closing of the season.

• All Souls’ Day is a commemoration of the deceased. People visit cemeteries and by bringing flowers and a quiet memory they remember their deceased relatives and friends.

• Collecting of medicinal herbs, for example the common chicory, common yarrow, ribwort plantain etc.

Winter

Significant features of people’ activities in autumn are:

• Foresters replenish hay racks for wildlife and bird feeders

• Fishermen cut holes in ice so that water can be partially oxygenated.

• Roads are cleared and maintained and they are kept passable by the Infrastructure Services.

• Winter is the season of winter sports, for example skiing, skating, sledging etc.

• Christmas is a significant holiday celebrated in winter. Decorating of a Christmas tree became a symbol of Christmas at the beginning of the 19th century. A Christmas tree was originally decorated with fruit and nuts. Later people started to make paper decorations.

Spring

Significant features of people’ activities in spring are:

• Work in gardens, spading and adjustment of patches, preparation for sowing seeds and planting of seedlings, at the same time cold frames and greenhouses are prepared.

• In orchards fruit trees are pruned and it is a suitable time for grafting of trees

• In fields dragging, aerating and harrowing take place and sowing of spring crop (oat, barley, spring rye and spring wheat) is prepared. Towards the end of spring thinning out of beetroot is done. Planting of potatoes is also important.

• Easter is an important Christian festival, apart from this significance it is expression of joy over the departure of winter and arrival of spring. Easter is accompanied by a range of customs and traditions. Another important spring holiday is May 1st which is a symbol of labour, life, fertility and love celebration. In the past “Chasing of Kings” and “Rides of the Kings” in Moravia were taking place. If the spring was dry, so called “pouring out of natural springs” was happening when girls were clearing the natural springs.

Summer

Significant features of people’ activities in summer are:

• Summer is time of holidays. People spend time outdoors, at their cottages, weekend houses, in tents and they bathe.

• Foresters mainly watch for presence of pests and they use catchers for their elimination.

• For farmers summer is the time of harvest and haymaking.

• Biologists observe expansion of small rodents, pest insects etc.

• In summer people usually engage in typically summer sports, for example swimming, canoeing, going down rivers etc.