Šibřinky

This year theme is Glass And Glitter. Dancing and live music by PRAŽEVICA band.  Get ready to party! Put on your dancing shoes and costume and enjoy the evening! Raffle Drawing and Gymnastic Performance are a part of this fun-filled evening.

The first Šibřinky sponsored by our Unit was held on January 23, 1960, in Coral Hills Hall, Coral Hills, Maryland.  The costume theme was from Jirasek’s Lucerna.  The Svitak Orchestra from Baltimore provided the music.  This ball was such a success that it became an annual event.  Each year it had a different theme – Around the World; Mardi Gras; Gypsy Baron; South Pacific – and at midnight short programs were put on by the Pepich Ballet School and Sokol Opera groups.  Music was provided by either of the Czech orchestras, Svitak or Buddy Kaspar.  Prizes for costumes were awarded in several categories.  Over the years, Šibřinky has been held in numerous places, including the Naval Officers’ Club at the Navy Yard, Washington, DC; Knights of Columbus Hall, Bethesda, Maryland; Almas Temple, K Street NW, Washington, DC; and Patton Hall Officers’ Club, Fort Myer, Virginia.  Šibřinky continued annually for 29 years, through 1989.  After a long break, in 2006 our Unit revived this popular event and it continues to be enjoyed by many to this day.  Since 2006 Šibřinky has been held at St. Luke Orthodox Church in McLean, Virginia. In 2016 we moved this favorite venue to the grounds of the Czech Embassy and held it as a fundraiser ball for our organization following old tradition of costume theme.

2016 Famous Films

2017 Black and White

2018 Red & Blue & White (Czechoslovakia 1918 anniversary)

2019 Opera Ball

2020 Casino Night

2024 Glass and Glitter

Are you wondering what the word Šibřinky means?  In old Czech, it describes what sounds to humans as the silly chatter among birds.  As early as 1865, Sokols in Prague used this name to describe their Mardi Gras party – the time of silliness and merriment.  The name caught on!