Czechs and Slovaks from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York resumed, after last year's necessary pause, the slightly delayed annual Joseph's Hike. Since this event happened to fall on the Easter weekend this year, Easter Hike was created. It's been organized for the ten past years annually thanks to the Plavec family. This time the objective was reaching the forested, rocky summit over the pond at #SQUANTZ POND STATE PARK in the state of Connecticut.
On the meadow before the trek, about thirty people and five beautiful dogs gathered. The landscape of this American state is slowly waking up to spring, the trees are bare, but it was sunny, cold, and windy. The Slovaks and Czechs have not seen each other for a year, and many newcomers arrived. Among many different topics discussed were who baked a lamb cake this year and what is added to the Easter stuffing when there are no nettles (kopřivy) in the United States. But mainly the conversation carried on how everyone survived this past year.
After the return from the adventure, there was a picnic at the pond. The older boys prepared a traditional Easter Egg Hunt for the little children. For a moment, it seemed that we returned to a life of normalcy. Helena Plavcova reflected, "I am happy that after a year, we have resumed this cherished ten-year tradition."
Photo credit: Miroslav Konvalina
