Weekend food festival in Prague highlights Romanian community in Czechia

The terrace behind the Museum of Ethnography of the National Museum of the Czech Republic, in the Kinsky Garden, will host the annual celebration of the Romanian community in Czechia this weekend.

Organizers invite the public to "Admire and interact with elements of Romanian and Moldavian culture and civilization" with music, dance, and Romanian food tastings between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11. The event is free of charge.

"Our aim is to strengthen the relationship between the Romanian community (very well represented among expats and playing a major role in the IT sector as well as in medicine, pharma, and manufacturing) and other communities living in the Czech Republic," says Cornelia Ureche, Vice President of the Romanian Association in Prague.

She adds that this year, the Romanian Festivity aims to communicate the national identity of both Romanian and Moldavian people in the Czech Republic. The two countries share a common history, language, and cultural heritage.

The tenth annual outing of the event sees over 1,000 Romanians and Moldovans from Prague and nearby cities join representatives of the country's main institutions in Czechia, including the Embassy of Romania, and the Romanian Cultural Institute, for a day of feasting and fun.

The ceremony is organized by the Association of Romanians in the Czech Republic with the support of the Romanian Department for Romanians in the World, the Embassy of Romania in the Czech Republic, and the Municipality of Prague 5.

Throughout the day, visitors can line up for authentic Romanian food: mici, roe salad, eggplant salad, zakuska, bulz, traditional soups, and sarmale.

In addition to culinary offerings performances by Romanian groups will take place on across two stages. On the main stage, see the "Busuiocul" Folk Dance Ensemble from Sântana Arad and the Sânzienele Vocal Group of the Arad Popular School of Arts, Rodica Stegărescu, the ethno-folklore ensemble Kodrjanka, and the 30 Music Street band. The La Taifas band and DJ Cristian Marin will also perform.

The "Creștem Români" club will stage a show for children. Planned activities for the children's corner include an inflatable slide, balloon workshop, stone painting using Romanian motifs, plus face painting.

Libraria Prichindeilor din Praga will be showcasing new books for young readers, available free of charge for borrowing with the support of the Department for Romanians Everywhere, and a selection of titles for sale, for children and adults. During the day, children are invited to reading sessions, followed by activities. A "time tunnel" is a surprise this year that is intended for children and adults.

According to Czech statistics, in the last ten years, the number of Romanian citizens temporarily or permanently settled in the Czech Republic has increased significantly.

On June 30, 2020, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Prague, 43,503 Romanian citizens were registered at the labor force offices in the Czech Republic. At the same time, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Prague, 17,313 Romanian citizens held residence permits in the Czech Republic.

The distribution of Romanian citizens is relatively uniform in the territory of the Czech Republic, with a higher concentration around the cities of Prague and Brno, especially as a result of work opportunities for multinational companies.

The Association of Romanians from the Czech Republic, created in 2009, operates within the Romanian community. In 2020, Romania and the Czech Republic celebrated 100 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations.