Slovakia & Czech Republic - tradition "at best-odd, at worst-barbaric" (B4 Mr. Anderson, Kasey Anderson)

March 23, 2008 (Easter traditions most unusual)

Picture of Easter pomlázka - braided willows

Easter is the first Sunday after the first moon after the Spring equinox. The earliest Easter possible is March 20 and the latest is April 25. This year, we were surprised with an early March Easter, March 23, 2008. The next March 23 Easter will be the year 2160 (not likely any of us will live to see it again), the last March 23 Easter was in 1913. Religious Easter is a holiday we are familiar with. What we are not familiar with is the social Easter tradition practised in Czech Republic & Slovakia (formerly one country, Czechoslovakia). This practice is viewed "at best-odd, at worst-barbaric". While traveling in Eastern Europe several summers ago, my mom recalled hearing of this strange Easter custom."

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a tradition of spanking or whipping is carried out on Easter Monday. In the morning, men spank women with a special handmade whip called a pomlázka (in Czech) or korbáč (in Slovak), or, in eastern Moravia and Slovakia, throw cold water on them. The pomlázka/korbáč (see picture) consists of eight, twelve or even twenty-four withies (willow rods), is usually from half a meter to two meters long and decorated with colored ribbons at the end. The spanking normally is not painful or intended to cause suffering. A legend says that women should be spanked in order to keep their health (fertility)and beauty for the year. An additional purpose can be for men to exhibit their attraction to women; unvisited women can even feel offended. Traditionally, the spanked woman gives a colored egg and sometimes a small amount of money to the man as a sign of her thanks. In some regions the women can get revenge in the afternoon or the following day when they can pour a bucket of cold water on any man. The habit slightly varies across Slovakia and the Czech Republic. A similar tradition existed in Poland (where it is called Dyngus Day, but it is now little more than an all-day water fight.)

More personal funny anecdote of this "whipping" Easter is found in Eric's blog, (Teran's host). He purchased a whip in the event of a counter whipping by the girls, I guess one can never be too careful you know.

More Easter Pictures and Resources are: Velikonoce, Czech Easter (Velikonoce), Easter 2008, Easter in the Czech Republic (and recipes), Easter Monday, Celebrate Easter Monday with a Good Dousing

-Tasting the flavor of places across the globe,Teran and Pepper (aka Kasey)

Passover Seder by Victor Ludlow (Presenter of over 26 years)
A four-hour seder is filled with symbolism and dinner. The first experience was a family Seder, the second was an authentic presentation and hopefully the next is a Seder in Jerusalem.
If you have never participated in a Seder, one might want to experience it.
(pics and write up soon)
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