This study argues that national festivals can be analysed as specific space-ti me entities that construct meanings related to the Nation and thus help to sediment national identity. Based on works of M.
Maurer and M. Ozouf the author explores the festive space-time in three phases: parade, settling and festive act that reflect three vectors of festive culture, ie. dynamization, stabilisation and concentration.
On examples from Czech national festive culture in 1860s and 1870s the detailed effects of this space-time are shown.