Last week we attended the Burning of the Witches festival that happens every April 30th in Prague. To give you all a little more insight on what seems like a cruel tradition, I'll share what I read online.
"It was once believed that the evil powers on this evening, which falls in between the ancient feast days of St. Jacob and St. Phillip, were far stronger than normal and that for this evening only they ruled over the good. Flocks of witches riding broomsticks were said to soar the skies and the Czechs believed that the bonfires would bring them down in flames."
A history lesson for us all. So no, I didn't actually see witches being burned at the stake. It was just one big bonfire in the park that everybody gathered around for music, laughter and of course, Czech beer!
The next day, 2 of my roommates and I took a bus to Plzen (Pilsen in English). After a few mishaps and grumblings getting to the bus station at the edge of Prague (we missed our first bus and the mean guy working there made us buy another ticket for a bus 2 hours later because the next one was full! we were only 2 minutes late...), we finally made it to the third largest city in the Czech Republic. The main reason for our journey... the Liberation Festival! On May 6, 1945, the United States Army liberated Pilsen during World War II. Unfortunately for the rest of the country, they had made a deal with the Soviets that they would go no further once they reached Pilsen. So, we made the trek to visit the only place in Europe that celebrates America! Still doesn't mean they actually like Americans...
The main square in town had a bunch of food stands and a huge stage where they were playing live country music all day long, if you can believe it. I didn't realize that thats what American music was... no rap no hip-hoppy-pop that they play at frat parties and all the clubs over here... country. It was quite entertaining hearing that country twang in the Czech language though. The rest of the city was decked out in Czech and American flags. There was this one place called Freedom Alley that had all these pictures from the actual Liberation Day. Nearby there was this fake camp set-up that was interesting to see too.
After we checked out the main square we headed to the very famous Pilsner-Urquell Brewery for a tour! It was really, really fun. We got to see the bottling facilities, learn about the brewing process, taste hops, see the big copper kettles they brew in, and tour the old fermentation cellars. And after, of course, they gave us a sample of fresh from the wooden barrel unpasteurized Pilsner. As most of you know, I don't like beer. After 2 months in the biggest beer consuming country in the world, I still don't like it. But, to make my father, mother and frat boy friends proud, I drank it. I couldn't let you down guys! It was so bitter I don't know how ya'll do it.
Jubilee Gate
One of the big parts to the festival was the battle reenactment. There were actual American soldiers there (mostly those stationed in Germany) and huge tanks. They didn't have real bullets obviously, but there was gun shots and explosions and it was all acted out! I had a hard time seeing much of it because there was such a huge crowd but it was definitely a cool experience. That and a delicious potato pancake ended our day in Pilsen. As they say in Pilsen, "Thank you, America!"
