Czech Update

• Death of former child star, a time to reminisce

  2009 Feb 06

  The death of Czech actress Dana Vávrová reminded of what for many people of my generation was the golden age of Czech popular cinematography in the 1970s and early 1980s. During the worst of the communist backlash after 1968, many creative energies went into 'non-objectionable' cultural endeavors and somehow managed to produce an amazing amount of creative output the depth and breadth of which is is often not appreciated with much of the focus on Czech writers and filmmakers in exile or out of favor with the regime of the time. But Dana Vávrová's best known film the 1976 'Ať žijí duchové' (Long live the ghosts) certainly stands among the best in children's cinemas as do many other creations of that era. Also typical of that generation, Vávrová emigrated to the then West Germany where she became a successful actress and director.

  Zemřela filmová Leontýnka - www.lidovky.cz V Německu zemřela česká herečka a režisérka Dana Vávrová, která se proslavila hlavně v dětských rolích, například ve filmu Ať žijí duchové. Podle dostupných informací podlehla Vávrová rakovině. Bylo jí 41 let.

   

  

• PF2009: Všechno nejlepší do roku 2009

  2009 Jan 01

• Australians win award for Czech beer

  2008 Jun 05

  At least if the judges of the Beer World Cup are to be believed. Czechs aren't always best at making Czech style beer. But it's not just the beer. It's the Czech pub atmosphere that makes the beverage so much fun. Living in the UK, I don't touch a drop of beer (or any other alcohol) pretty much all year round but whenever I go back home for a visit I end up drinking literally liters of the stuff. Hard to put a price on that hoppy bitter sweet taste of home.
  

  The Prague Post Online: Business: Czechs no longer brew top pilsner If you want to taste the world’s best Bohemian-style pilsner beer, you’re going to have to go a long way from Bohemia.
  
  At this year’s World Beer Cup in San Diego, California, the largest competition of its kind, the gold medal for “Bohemian-style lager” did not go to a Czech brewery for the first time since 2000, when the competition was smaller by nearly half and dominated by North American brewers.
  Rather, the world’s best pilsner beers can be found in two unlikely places: Portland and Sydney.

  
  

• Dušičky - November 2 - Czechs remember their dead

  2007 Nov 02

  Dušičky (Little souls) known as All Soul's Day in English is the time of the year that Czechs remember their dead relatives. Many families visit their loved one's graves and leave burning candles. Although officially this is part of the Catholic liturgical calendar, most Czechs don't imbue this holiday with a particularly deep religious meaning.

  Dušičky - Wikipedie, otevřená encyklopedie Vzpomínka na všechny věrné zemřelé, Památka všech věrných zemřelých či lidově dušičky (lat. In commemoratione omnium fidelium defunctorum), která připadá na 2. listopadu, je v římskokatolické církvi dnem liturgického roku, kdy se církev modlí za zemřelé.

• Václav day in Czech land

  2007 Sep 28

  Today, 28. září (Sept) is the 'svátek' (Saint's day) of Václav (the Wenceslas of the Prague square and the Christmas carol). There are a plenty of famous Václav's the Czech lands have produced (including the last two presidents). Check out the Wikipedia entries below for more information. Below that a picture from some Václav celebrations in the CR.
  
  

  Václav - Wikipedie, otevřená encyklopedie Václav je staré jméno slovanského původu a znamená Více slavný, slavnější. Paradoxně stejný význam má i jméno Boleslav. Podle českého občanského kalendáře se jeho svátek slaví 28. září, stejně jako jeho ženská obdoba, Václava.

  Václav - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Václav (IPA: [ˈva:ʦlaf]) is a Czech male first name, sometimes translated into English as Wenceslaus or Wenceslas . In the Czech calendar, the saint day of Saint Václav (Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia ) is celebrated on 28th September as a state holiday.