About 200 parishioners, friends and family gathered to celebrate the second annual Slovak Heritage Day on Feb. 14.

Guest speaker Ron Matviyak traveled from Alaska to share his knowledge of Slovakia at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church.

Memorabilia included wedding headdresses, family histories and photo albums were on display.

A vintage kroj from Slovakia was part of the memorabilia display.

Linda Uhiren shared historic information on early Slovak colonists with those attending Slovak Heritage Day.

Slovak parish keeps heritage alive on feast day

Guest speaker Ron Matviyak from Alaska shared insights on his travels to Slovakia

Published: March 5, 2016

In Slovakian tradition, guests are welcomed with bread, salt and slivovitz for Slovak Heritage Day Feb. 14 at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Slovak.

In Slovakian tradition, guests are welcomed with bread, salt and slivovitz for Slovak Heritage Day Feb. 14 at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Slovak.

SLOVAK — A traditional Slovak welcome of salt, bread and slivovitz (fruit brandy) was served to visitors as they arrived at the second annual Slovak Heritage Day Feb. 14 at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Slovak. Nearly 200 people attended the event held on the feast day of its patron saints.

Founded in 1894 by an agricultural colonization company in Pennsylvania, the Slovak settlement is roughly 122 years old.

People from the community and surrounding areas gathered to reminisce and to celebrate Slovak’s heritage. Displays of memorabilia, photos and history lined the hall for visitors to browse. Items included kroj, wedding headdresses, woodcarvings, needlework, a fujara, folk paintings on glass, resources and family histories.

Guest speaker Ron Matviyak from Alaska provided a slide presentation and points of interest in Slovakia off the beaten path. With relatives in Slovakia, Matviyak has made numerous trips gathering information about eastern Slovakia. He provided an overview of economics, politics, family, spirituality and more.

Attendees also watched slides from a 2014 tour by Beth Lewis and Dan and Paula Hooks.

Live Slovak music included polkas and traditional melodies provided by friends and members of the Arkansas Accordion Association from Little Rock. Dinner was a potluck of Slovak dishes, including pirohy, holubky, keilbasa, goulash and bobalky. Kolacky pastries were provided by The Slovak Bakers.

The next Slovak Heritage Day is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 12, 2017.