The reaction of foreigners to this Easter tradition often ranges from being mildly taken aback to being left absolutely incredulous and aghast. The idea of "beating" women (contact should be on the rear and the legs) for Easter often seems like a slightly inappropriate form of celebration in the eyes of those used to the heavily religious overtones of the holiday that exist in most countries. Ale, to je život, český život.
The tradition is thought to come from ancient pagan traditions and is a symbolic fertility ritual. Nowadays, the whipping is commonly explained as being meant to keep the woman from aging an to help her preserve her youth. Woven willow switches, called pomlázkas, are used and were often used in ancient times to fend off evil. Present-day traditions vary slightly depending on where you are, but it is often common for the 'spanking' to happen in the morning (a nice way to wake up on a Monday morning). This is followed by an afternoon period of redemption, as the women are able to douse the men with water.
I will not go into more detail, but here is a great interview from Radio Prague that gives a much more comprehensive account of all of the Easter traditions and their origins.
However, some of the other traditions include blown eggs (similar to the ones Poland is so famous for), Easter markets (which look amazingly similar to the Christmas ones, just with a different tree and decorations), and an assortment of traditional sweets and breads.
Speaking of Easter, spring is finally awakening here in the Czech Republic and it is absolutely gorgeous! Warmer weather and more sunshine. The scenery merits a post of its own, but I have decided to include a few photos that I have taken so far. Enjoy!
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| The always beautiful Náměstí Míru |
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| The infamous pomlázka...found at the school after an Easter party |
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| One of the big shopping centers had an Easter exhibit with various eggs, each sporting a different theme |
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| Humpty-Dumpty-esque |
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| Masquer-egging |
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| What better time to graze your horses than a warm spring day? What better place than your local high-rise apartment complex? |
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| Many Czechs have gardens and take much pride in them. This is an especially impressive one I saw in a neighborhood where I teach |
