Would you like to know what are the cool traditions of Czech Easter (for the not-so-cool Easter traditions click here)? Or maybe you are Czech but would like to “brush up” on those customs? For example, could you explain your fellow neighbor what are:
Tell us your story… What led you to come to the US?
I came in August 2001 to visit my friend as well as to work as an au-pair. I also wanted to get to know this country a little better, learn English…the usual stuff. Originally, the plan was to stay just for a year and I have been here for 6 ½ years now:). I live here by myself, my whole family still lives back in Czech. At first I had started attending a local college to take some ESL courses, which turned into getting my GED and I have been currently finishing up a second year of the Business Management program here and I love it.
How is the Czech community in Atlanta? Was it easy for you to find new Czech friends?
I have met a lot of great people here. The Czech community in Atlanta is pretty big. We have a Czech supermarket here, Czech restaurant, as well as a Slovak restaurant. (more…)
Prague Spring in 1968 brought to Canada about 21,000 Czech and Slovak immigrants. How are they doing now? They are just fine but their kids seem to have forgotten their Czech roots. Why is that? It certainly cannot be for the lack of exposure because Toronto is simply overflowing with Czech “fingerprints”. Here are some examples:
The Czech Republic (and Slovakia) has an interesting tradition. If you are a high school student your mom will most likely force you to go to “do tanecnich” ( Dancing school). It is a very inexpensive way to not only learn how to dance almost any type of dance that currently exists (seriously, they teach you anything from Polka to Samba to Foxtrot) but it is also a socialization tool for all of the pimply kids out there. When you are 15 or 16 years old, it is hard to talk to the opposite sex (well, for most of us anyway). But this dancing school makes you to do exactly that. At the beginning of each weakly session you are forced into pairs (male -female) whether you like it or not. (more…)
I LOVE THIS! Do you remember Ivan Mladek’s song called “Jozin z Bazin” (the Swampland Jozin) (see the words to the song by clicking here) ? Well, if you don’t, it is a 30-year old, folk song that became a huge hit at the time. The song is about this monster Jozin who lives in the swamps somewhere in Moravia and eats only people from Prague - the city snobs. Although he doesn’t eat the locals they are tired of him. That is why the town mayor makes an offer to give away his daughter and a half or the “JZD” (the communist word for the town farm) to anyone who destroys this monster. The Czechs still play it on the radio from time-to-time. Every time I hear this song it brings me back to my childhood: I am 7 years old, hanging out with my friends at my parent’s cottage during the summer and lazily munching on Nanuk (an awesome communist ice cream bar). Anyway - it’s crazy - but this song ( and the video) has just now become a HUGE hit in Poland! It’s been the number one song on most of the Polish Top Song list (in Polish it is Jozek z bagien). The teenagers have the disco version uploaded in their MP3’s and are dancing away, trying to copy the dancing style of Ivo Pesak. (more…)
The classroom environment in the Czech Republic has been changing. Not only the children hide Intendos (and other electronic games) under the school desk instead of a sling-shot, but also the physical punishment has vanished. Schooling was very important to the Czechs from the start. Until the beginning of the Thirty-year war (1618-1648) the quality of education was very high. Perhaps the biggest reformer of the Czech education system was Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1670), a pastor, teacher and a writer. He came up with the idea of so-called Universal education which means that everyone has the right to get educated. He also disagreed with any form of physical punishment. Comenius’ loyalty to teaching - and not only in the Czech Republic alone - earned him the nickname of the “Teacher of the Nations“. After the Thirty-year war was over, the quality of education in Czech went down the drain. It became so bad that many children didn’t even know how to read and write! (more…)
In her article “The secrets of the Czech complexion” Rosie Johnson expresses her perplexion over the beauty of Czech girls’ skin during the winter times and calls them the “Sun-kissed goddesses”. I don’t mean to brag or anything but being Czech myself, I have to say I have gotten some positive comments on my skin complexion as well. Needless to say, that I have just recently discovered that there is actually a specific kind of soap for your face! I is kind of embarrassing that up till recently I have just been using water (or a regular bar of soap) to wash my face down. But my friend decided to educate me one day and made me buy one of those fancy face soaps (for about $20,000 a bottle) and the result??? (more…)
If you knew that something terrible were to happen to the Czech Republic and a radio broadcast was telling you that you had 24 hours to get out, what Czech “treasure” would you pack in your bag, knowing that you could never come back?? What things do you think would retain the Czech heritage for the future generations as well as keep you from becoming terribly homesick?
This is how my list would look like:
- Remember, we only have ONE luggage to pack, so we can’t fill it all with food (you can see I had to get rid of lot of my stuff…..)
3 tatranky (waffles dipped in chocolate)
2 fidorky (round waffles dipped in chocolate)
1 lentilky (similar to M&M’s)
2 polomacene susenky (shortbread cookies; one side dipped in chocolate)
2 burty (type of sausage)
Polacek: Bylo nas pet ( “It used to be five of us“)
Nemcova:Babicka (”Grandma“;Czech classic written in 19th century)
Vylety pana Broucka (”Trips of mr. Borucek“;another 19th century classics)
Capek: Valka s mloky (War with the Newts (European Classics)
Ctyrlistek - can’t leave Fifinka behind! (Czech cartoon magazine for kids) (more…)
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The other day we received one of the Czech Christmas cards which said “P.F. 2008“. I read it, smiled, and didn’t give another thought to it. My husband - American - asked me what did the “P.F.” stand for. “Oh, it means…. (30 seconds of silence)”. I didn’t have an answer! Out of pure embarrassment I immediately got on the internet and started a fearless search. I happened to find this great Czech website (ceske-tradice.com) which answered my question and put my soul to rest. And now - for those who are as ignorant as I was - I am going to put your souls to rest as well! Basically, “P.F.” stands for “Pour feliciter” or “For good luck” and it was invented by a Czech count Karel Chotek, who “ in 1827 got out of an uncomfortable situation of accepting visitors all day long by writing polite notes to them. Those notes usually consisted of words of apology followed by wishes of good luck. They also included a nice picture.” (more…)
My mother-in-law just told me the other day that one of her friends received a Christmas ornament made in the Czech Republic. That led me to do a little research and I found this great article. It - once again - confirms the famous saying: “All roads lead to Prague” (not Rome!!).
For example, did you know that we used to be the #1 bead-making country? During the World War II the major bead-making factory became a shelter for the Japanese prisoners who in the midst of their stay also learned how to make these beads. When the war was over and they went back home where they spread the secret bead recipe and priced the Czechs out of the market! But the relentless Czechs did not close the factory down; instead of beads they started making Christmas ornaments - today’s pride of the country. (more…)
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