Tradice a kultura jsou velmi vázané k místu, kde vyrůstáme a žijeme, ovlivňují nás samozřejmě i lidé kolem nás. Jak by tedy vypadaly tradice osoby, která žije již několik let na odlišném kontinentu, než vyrůstala, za manžela má Brita a každý den nás tu učí svému rodnému jazyku? Paní profesorka Bazyn nám na tyto všechny otázky a mnohem víc odpověděla, přidala i pár zábavných historek a fotek z rodinného alba.
What was your favorite holiday as a child and What is your favorite holiday now?
I would say that it probably was and probably still is Christmas, or I also now really appreciate Thanksgiving as well. I think one of the main reasons for that is that it tends to be a whole season, not just a single holiday, so the anticipation of the holiday can be just as festive and fun as the day itself. I really like advent calendars, Christmas markets, advent concerts, and advent wreaths here in the Czech Republic because they help to build that anticipation and keep giving opportunities to enjoy little moments throughout the month. We have some of that in the US as well. I had 2 advent calendars that my mom made for us when I was a kid and I always loved doing the activity each one required every day and seeing Christmas getting closer. The challenge as adults, and as teenagers, is to enjoy the little things and not get too busy during the season.
I also really love the Czech cukrovi, especially when my students give them to me.
Childhood Christmas with my brothers – (popis fotky od paní profesorky pozn. red.)
You are an American, your husband is British and both of you live in the Czech Republic. Which traditions do you celebrate and which ones don’t you?
That is the fun part. We get to celebrate three different cultures. I think we typically celebrate most of the traditions that are here.
So do you celebrate the Czech Easter?
No! (laugh)
I mean some parts of it, like I still decorate easter eggs. I learned how to blow them out, because we don’t do that in America. We just use hard-boiled ones. But no, my husband doesn’t whip me and he doesn’t want to. Yeah, that is one tradition I can’t get on board with here.
Also, since many students know I love baseball, it might be fun to know that I actually associate Easter with baseball too. Something that just my family did (it isn’t a normal American tradition) on Easter every year when I was a kid was playing a big softball game with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and even my grandfather. My brothers and I carried on that tradition with their children, but I am sad to miss it every year now that I live here again. It isn’t a tradition which I think I will be able to start here very easily.
Do you celebrate Halloween here?
No, not really. I wouldn’t mind it, but Halloween is just a funny holiday. I have a lot of great memories from childhood, but it’s not that big of a deal as an adult. It’s fun that our school does it, but no, I don’t do anything for Halloween here. Actually, I guess in past years I have gone to some costume parties that my friends hosted.
My first Halloween (I am the bunny) – (popis fotky od paní profesorky pozn. red.)
Do you celebrate Christmas in the evening of the 24th or in the morning of the 25th?
Both.
Well, actually now we usually fly to England on the 24th, because it’s the cheapest. But, for example, during Covid, when we were stuck here, we had a traditional Czech meal on the 24th and we did the American/British Christmas on the 25th. Brits also celebrate Boxing day on the 26th, so we did all three, and it was great.
Do you like Czech or American/British Christmas more?
I don’t know. I appreciate both of them.
I think I actually prefer British now from all of them. It feels cozier to me. It just has the atmosphere of it. It’s more pleasant I think. It’s also because the traditions that I have with my husband, now that we created, are more similar to English Christmas, but I think I just really like doing all of them.
What is your favorite school tradition that we have here?
That is a good question actually. I have to think about which ones we have. I would say I really like that there are Christmas things like the week before the Christmas holidays, the market, the volleyball tournament…
Do you have a class that you cheer for?
No. It’s actually really hard to see any class lose. I’m always cheering for both sides. Anytime anybody gets a point, I am happy for them.
I really like the Czech sense of humor usually.
What do you think about Czech culture?
That’s a big question.
Because I live here now, there are some things that I appreciate, because they are the same as in America and it makes it easier for me. But then I also appreciate the sort of things that are different. I think that there is an authenticity in Czech culture that I appreciate, you know, like traditions. Although in the last several years they are getting more commercial, they are still less commercial than in America.
I really like the Czech sense of humor usually. And I appreciate that Czech culture for the most part still does things like having holidays family-centered. I really like that even when I am far away from my family, which is sad, but I appreciate that people still value spending time with their family at least on holidays.
Another thing that I like is when people are into some hobbies like music, they are really into it and are really good at it. I know that there are a lot of gifted students in our school who are able to do so many beautiful things and I like that. I think in American schools, because we have so many after-school activities, you can get involved in lots of things but not necessarily be really good at it. And you have people who are able to do things but not really well. I really appreciate the really good talents that people have here. It’s so impressive.
And what do you think about British culture?
I also love British culture, but I never lived there, so I don’t have that much experience with it.
It’s surprisingly different from American culture though.
What surprised you when you came to the Czech Republic?
I definitely wasn’t ready for how little people smile here or are friendly because we Americans are really friendly. We don’t have to know you at all and we will be really friendly to you. I didn’t realize how different that would feel, so that was hard at first. I felt like people were not very nice, but I no longer think that is true. It’s just expressed in a different way, and what I appreciate is that maybe what is on the surface is not that friendly but when you get to know somebody, it’s deep and more meaningful.
It is funny but also unsettling and creepy
Is there some Czech tradition that you don’t like or that you think is weird?
Besides the easter whipping?
Yes.
The other thing that’s really weird to me is the devil on Saint Mikuláš, like the devil and angel are taking people and requiring shots to give them the child back? It is funny but also unsettling and creepy when I am walking down the street and there is a devil. That is weird.
Oh, and one thing I don’t like here is that state holidays are not observed on Mondays or Fridays, which ensures you get longer weekends and not random days off during the week or a holiday falling on a weekend. In the US, state holidays usually fall on certain days, like the second Monday in January, instead of a specific date, which could be Saturday or Sunday some years.
Do you have a favorite tradition that is not celebrated here in the Czech Republic, but you would like it to be?
Thanksgiving, definitely Thanksgiving. I appreciate it much more now, because of how long I have been away from it. It has all the nice things of Christmas like family and having a nice meal together and… some time away from work but without the Christmas stress.
So do you fly home for Thanksgiving ?
Oh no no no (laugh). The nice thing about celebrating here is that here other Americans and Czechs and Brits and people have kind of adopted the tradition, and they really appreciate it and try to make a big deal out of it. I usually have multiple Thanksgiving meals.
What is your favorite meal from the Thanksgiving dinner?
The dessert. There are different types of pie. Pecan pie and pumpkin pie are my favorites.
cooking the entire turkey is really hard
Do you cook Thanksgiving dinner?
Yes I do. But cooking the entire turkey is really hard. I do really well with the side dishes but not so much with the meat (laugh).
Do you see some differences between the Czech Christian community and the American one?
In some ways they are extremely similar and in other ways they are extremely different.
I am a Protestant Christian not Catholic, so I can’t really speak for the Catholic Church.
For a long time Christians in America were a big part of the population and it was really comfortable to be a Christian and it was really normal. That meant that people were Christians just because that was normal and not necessarily because they made some personal commitment. So there are a lot of people who just follow the tradition and do the things, but don’t actually necessarily have a personal belief in it.
And here, especially under communism, it was so marginalized and the community got smaller and smaller that they are far from the majority of people. And they have different experience with it. If you decide to become a Christian here, it can come at a bigger cost. You can feel really ostracized from society and from your family and friends and feel like a weirdo. So the people who make the decision now, I think, are more committed to it here. And it’s not just that they are going along with a culture.