If you lived as I did, several years under Nazi totalitarianism, and ...

Prague Hall
Brno Gallery
The Czech Center Museum Houston
A European Palace in Houston’s Prestigious
Museum District
Rental space available for all
occasions.
Weddings, Showers, Bridal Teas, Receptions,
Rehearsal Dinners, Anniversaries, Reunions,
Birthdays, Private Parties, Corporate Functions,
Breakfast Meetings, Luncheons, Award
Banquets, Seminars, Galas, Social Events.
Wenceslas Chapel for intimate weddings or
renewal of vows. The Brno Gallery hosts a
magnificent Petrof baby grand piano beneath a
massive sparkling Bohemian crystal chandelier
enhanced by a beautiful grand staircase of scrolled
wrought iron and brass, museum exhibits and
historical furnishings. Two conference rooms -
The Presidents Room and The Comenius Library.
Prague Hall - An elegant grand ballroom graced
by two enchanting Bohemian crystal chandeliers,
a Petrof baby grand piano and Alfons Mucha’s
Art Nouveau renderings.
The Prague International Gift Shop
for your shopping pleasure.
Prague International Gifts has a selection of
Czech Desna crystal flutes, wines, cordials,
vases and the new Bohemia glass fingernail
files; Bohemia and Caesar finest cut crystal
bowls and vases in clear and colors, a large
selection of hand enameled collectibles, eggs,
stars, bells, hearts, figurines, treasure boxes.
The Shop is filled with heirlooms from around
the world – Czech, Slovak, Russian, Polish,
German, etc. There are wood puppets and
numerous toys, Tupesy and Modra pottery hand
painted; Bohemian porcelain; Moravian stars;
antique laces, table linens and much more.
For information call: 713-528-2060
E-mail: czech@czechcenter.org
Or visit us at www.czechcenter.org
4920 San Jacinto at Wichita
Houston, Texas 77004
Moravian Slovakia - Folklore Festivals and Celebration
Moravian Slovakia is located in the south-eastern
part of the Czech Republic, by the border with
Austria and Slovakia. The region has preserved –
quite naturally – many customs which are today
labeled folklore; for many people, Moravian
Slovakia is a synonym for
folk traditions. As well as
that it is an extraordinarily
picturesque region, rich in
historical and architectural
monuments and renowned
for its natural beauty, fertile
land and the hospitality of its
inhabitants.
Moravian Slovakia is rightly
considered a region of excellent
wine, vineyards and wine cellars (they
can be found by almost every village). Of the
ten Moravian wine-growing regions, eight are
located in Moravian Slovakia.
Visiting local wine cellars is an unforgettable
experience for inhabitants from other
parts of the Czech Republic - not only because
of the excellent quality of wines served there,
but also for their general atmosphere; the
saying that wine and song
belong to each other inseparably
applies especially to
Moravian Slovakia, because
there are only a few other
corners of the country where
you can find so many beautiful
singers and songs. In the
local wine cellars even those
who initially say they cannot sing start singing
in the end.
The fact is that the songs and music of
Moravian Slovakia’s musicians leave no one
cold, be it the rousing sounds of brass orchestras
or temperamental dulcimer music (both
of which can be commonly heard at dances).
There are only a few other regions where you
can find so many bands and musical ensembles,
popular regional competitions and festivals
of folk singers and bands.
People in Moravian Slovakia
like to dance and they are
indeed good at it; verbuňk,
a traditional men’s dance
from Moravian Slovakia,
has even been added to the
most important relics of
the UNESCO World Nonmaterial
Cultural Heritage.
Traditional annual celebrations
- the Easter obchůzka (going round the
village) and the Ride of the Kings in spring,
summer feasts, harvest and wine celebrations
in autumn and Christmas plays, renowned
wine and plum-brandy tasting, pig killing and
tasting of pork specialities, usually combined
with music, lively Shrovetide obchůzka and
costumed balls – all offer wonderful spectacles
T h e N e w s o f T h e C z e c h C e n t e r
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for visitors, although they are ordinary parts of
the year for the locals.
Moravian Slovakia is perhaps the most colorful
region of the Czech Republic. That is reflected
in the numerous relics of folk architecture scattered
all over the region; the
largest compact collections
of these relics can be found
in Strážnice, Pavlov, Hrubá
Vrbka, Vápenky and Vlčnov.
However, perhaps every village
in Moravian Slovakia
could be called colourful. In
some of them this can even
be taken at face value, as
the tradition of “malérečky”
(women who adorn small chapels and the
windows and doors of dwellings with colorful
flower motifs) continues to be very much
alive.
The same lively colorfulness is characteristic
of the folk costumes typical of Moravian
Slovakia. The plural is used here by right, since
the region, relatively small in size, boasts as
many as 28 different kinds of folk garments!
In some places only two or
three villages have a common
costume, while several
kilometers away you can
find distinct differences in
the style of garments, the
shaping of sleeves and head
covers. All the costumes,
however, distinguish themselves
by rich embroidery, vivid colors and
original ornamentation. Folk costumes are very
popular with young people and those who have
inherited them from their grandmothers or
grandfathers are considered very lucky. Others
have at least new costumes made according to
original patterns. If an important event is held
in a village, wearing traditional festive garments
is a must, because this will provide the
event with an inimitable and extraordinarily
festive atmosphere.
Moravian Slovakia naturally
hosts a number of extraordinarily
important folklore
festivals which attract large
crowds of visitors. The most
famous of them is the popular
Strážnice Festival, which
is renowned not only in the
Czech Republic, but also in
the folklore-minded parts of
Europe. The town of Kyjov regularly hosts the
oldest folklore festival to be held in the Czech
Republic. Taking place for the first time in
1921, it has a characteristic name - Slovácký rok
(Moravian Slovakia’s Year). Another popular
event, the Horňácko Celebrations, is held in
Velká nad Veličkou every year.
Hana Tillmanová