~ Czech Out Dwight, NE ~

Dwight is a small village of about 250 people, mostly of Czech origin. There are many small villages and towns in Nebraska with strong ties to their European or Scandinavian heritage. In many churches Hymms are still sung in Czech, Swedish or German. Although the population of Dwight is dwindling, their connection to there Czech heritage remains strong. I went to Dwight to cover the 44th Czech Festival. I was told to visit Cy’s Cafe and get a traditional Czech pastry called a Kolache, kinda of like a danish but smaller. I stopped by and the sign on the door read, “Will open after 5 p.m. Mass.” I walked over to the Catholic church and after the service spoke with Father Mitchell who later offered me a Kolache. It was sweet and tasty. I still went into Cy’s though to quench my curiosity. The place mats had a handy Czech translation and I learned my first word in Czech: Pivo. It means beer! I hung out in the village for a while, chatted with the locals, watched the Czech Dancers perform and the crowning of the Czech Princess. I understood the people of Dwight more than I think they realize. Their attempts at holding onto their Czech customs and traditions reminded me a lot of my Parsi upbringing. Before we had a Fire Temple in the Bay Area, we would have religious class at someone’s home and have a potluck afterwards. Usually the parents would take turns teaching the lessons using books brought over from India. As I was leaving the village, many people thanked me for coming “All the way from Lincoln to take pictures.” The pleasure was all mine.

~ by kainazamaria on July 16, 2007.