CULTURAL PRIDE

My great grandparents were Czech immigrants that came to the US as young adults. They worked hard to earn enough money so they could bring other family members to join them. Many of them settled in the same areas. I remember as a child being surrounded by so many family members. The older relatives would speak Czech and I would be in awe.

I vividly remember the food, especially the kolache, a pastry of sorts that looks like a little pie with fruit filling. My favorite has always been the cherry kolache, but my relatives’ favorite is the poppy seed version.

We also celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Traditionally it is baby Jesus who brings the gifts, but my family Americanized this, and I grew up eagerly awaiting Santa Claus. We always had carp (a type of fish) as part of our Christmas dinner. I detested carp! Thankfully we also had the American standards like turkey or prime rib.

Czech Christmas cookies are the best. Pracny cookies are one of the traditional varieties. They are little crescent cookies dusted in powdered sugar. They smell wonderfully of spices, including crushed cloves, dark cocoa, cinnamon, and lemon zest.

May Day was a big thing for my Czech family. We would make May baskets out of paper cups with pipe cleaner handles. Each cup would be filled with little candies. We would deliver them to our friends by walking to the front door, placing the May basket on the ground, ringing the doorbell and running away. This was truly special!

I love my Czech family and am so grateful to have so many memories of these traditions.