Moravian Maurice Grau and the Metropolitan Opera

“The family with Czech roots who popularized musical theatre, ran the Metropolitan Opera, and published insightful books on theatre were the Graus. Maurice Grau was the universally loved head of the Met, his brother toured North America producing repertory opera-musicals, and another brother wrote the books.” The quote came in the form of a comment...

History, LIFESTYLE, NOSTALGIA, PEOPLE

June 1, 2018

Našinec – Last Czech-Language Newspaper in Texas Coming to an End

After 104 years of publication, the end for the last Czech-language newspaper in Texas could come in a Williamson County nursing home. It’s there that 82-year-old Joe Vrabel puts out the Našinec paper as far more labor of love than producer of profit. “Oh, I hate to see it go,” he told me in the...

CULTURE, Periodicals

May 7, 2018

Bohemia: Czechs in New York at the Settlement at Long Island

In looking at Czechs in New York and their history in the United States, we cannot overlook Bohemia. Today, Bohemia is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. In 2010, the population was 10,180 based on the census. Bohemia is situated along the South Shore of Long Island, in the Town of Islip,...

History, NOSTALGIA

November 10, 2017

The Indomitable Pioneer Spirit of the Creative Czechoslovaks

My Antonia, written by Willa Cather “in memory of affections old and true”, is the story of a Czech woman who embodied the pioneer spirit. Antonia represented hard work, pride, love of land, and a desire to do what was best and right – in essence, the character of the Czech pioneers who came to...

History, NOSTALGIA

November 1, 2017

The Shooting of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermák

One of the most mysterious political assassinations ever taken place occurred on February 15, 1933, when the Czech-born mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermák, was mortally wounded. Anton, or Tony Cermak as he was known in the United States, was the 34th Mayor of Chicago, in office from April 7, 1931 to March 6, 1933. The traditional...

Bohemians, PEOPLE

July 7, 2017

Remembering the Czechs of Masaryktown, Florida

We’ve already posted about Masaryktown and it’s dying history. The last time we were there, the Czech restaurant had become a place to get a Cuban sandwich. Except for the street names, no Czechs were anywhere to be found. Yet a few decades ago, this community was alive and well. That is why today we’re remembering...

History, NOSTALGIA

June 8, 2017

The 6th Annual Conference of Czech Schools in North America

This past weekend (Friday, June 2, to Sunday, June 4, 2017), we were able to attend a few sessions of the 6th Annual Conference of Czech Schools in North America. This years conference was hosted by the Czech School of Atlanta Honoring Karel Velan and the conference organizer is a division of the Czech North America Chamber...

Czech Schools, PLACES

May 29, 2017

The Uniqueness of Czech Character

Today we are sharing a wonderful guest post on Czech character by Mila Rechcigl. The images included in the post were selected by me… An uninformed person may wonder what is so special about the Czech character. Let me assure you at the outset that it really exists. I should know, being a Czech myself, and...

Bohemians, PEOPLE

May 14, 2017

The Oldest Czech Catholic Church in the United States

The Saint Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Spillville, Iowa, which dates back to 1860, is the oldest Czech Catholic church in the United States. St. Wenceslaus was built with the hard work and generosity of Czech settlers that emigrated to the area. Those who were proud of their Czech roots and heritage. The original church was...

Architecture, CULTURE

May 8, 2017

Harsh Beginnings of Czech Settlers in America

At the time of the mass immigration of Czechs to America, in the midst of the 19th century (1), as Tomáš Čapek wrote, the first immigrants, as a rule, settled near seaside cities, near lakes and waterways and, later, also along the railroad lines. Thus, at the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, they formed colonies...

History, NOSTALGIA

October 18, 2016

Wearing a Kroj in Texas

Today we’re very pleased to have a guest post written by Jana Riley of Texas. You can learn more about Jana after the post…. Wearing a kroj in Texas is a tradition in my family for more than four generations beginning in the Czech Republic, specifically the Slovácko region of Moravia, and brought to Texas. I...

Fashion, LIFESTYLE

June 23, 2016

Czechs in the City of West, Texas

Have you ever been West? By West I mean the city of West, located in McLennan County, Texas. It’s a friendly little place with a population of about 3,000 folks, many of them with Czech descendants. This tiny community boasts a remarkably vibrant and long-standing Czech heritage. Yes, there is an abundance of Czechs in the city of...

PLACES, Wanderlust

February 25, 2016

The International Order of St. Hubertus

Who would have thought that The International Order of St. Hubertus was Czech? When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at the Cibolo Creek Ranch in Texas, the Huffington Post called called “the International Order of St. Hubertus, an Austrian society that dates back to the 1600s.” Correction… It is a Bohemian society, one founded in what is...

History, NOSTALGIA

All the Czech Cookbooks at Everything Czech

February 16, 2015

Czech and Bohemian Cookbooks

Czech and Slovak cooking is gaining popularity with each passing day. Both the Czech Republic and Slovakia are noted for their hearty, delicious and wholesome meals. The food staples are provided principally by farmland, and include milk, cheese, livestock, wheat, fruit and root vegetables. Czech and Bohemian cookbooks and recipes are provided here so that you can...

LIFESTYLE, Recipes

May 1, 2014

Finding Czech Kolache in Texas

If you follow our personal Facebook adventures you will notice that we often go on road trips and post all of the great things we see along the way. On so many of our road trips to the west coast we have driven through Texas and we have noticed that we always see billboards along the...

Food, LIFESTYLE