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| A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure. – Czech Proverb |
Now that your green beer is gone, are you ready to drink some red beer?
Having a Catholic Czech-Bohemian grandmother, it seemed natural to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day, a prominent and predominately Czech holiday for those that lived in Cedar Rapids’ Czech village area, on March 19th. It’s now sometimes likened to a milder St. Patrick’s Day. So, while we wore green on St. Patty’s day, we also wore red two days later.
Our family has always enjoyed a party with food and drink, maybe from our Catholic-Czech heritage (Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per person in the world). Far from being teetotalers, when my sisters and I were kids, we were allowed to drink Slow Screws (an alcoholic drink made with orange juice and Slow Gin) at family get-togethers with no one getting uppity. We always knew we were getting away with something, but it didn’t feel like that big of a deal at grandma’s house. That was our family culture.
As a kid, we didn’t think too much about our Czech ancestry, even though I don’t remember other kids wearing “Kiss Me- I’m Czech!” buttons. I do remember my father making kolaches, fruit-filled pastries, for my grandmother. I also remember my father flipping on the radio to a Sunday morning polka station to tease and annoy my mother. “You’re Bohemian, you’re suppose to love this,” he would tell her as accordion notes filled the car. I was probably the only kid to secretly have a favorite polka song, Mickey Mouse Polka by Marv Herzog. And maybe that’s why I now enjoy when a wedding reception dance starts up with “Beer Barrel Polka.” I think it adds a festive atmosphere to the dance.