From Curated Nostalgia to Cheerful Kitsch: The Remaking of 17 November

Thisyear’s 17th November celebrations in Prague offered a strangelyendearing mixture of retro charm, commercialized nostalgia, andgentle absurdity. Everywhere I went, people were cheerfully engagingwith the past. The irony is that it was not necessarily with the pastin all its complexity, but rather with a softened, stylized, andsometimes cartoonish version of it. It was both delightful, amusing,and unsettling. As I wandered through the city, I found myself movingbetween illuminated trams, historical exhibits packed with laughingvisitors, glossy commemorative debates, and an abundance of flags,pins, and candles. It was festive, touching, absurd, and deeplythought-provoking.