Europhile: C'est ma vie!

Easter Whip Enabled.

Easter is a time for traditions. In some cultures they search the yard for dairy products, in others they bite the heads of chocolate bunnies and in others (like Ireland) they just go to Mass and drink copious amouns of alcohol.

Easter in the Czech Republic is a little different...

1. Exercise. Multiple Matching. Choose from the list of traditions the words that you think have something to do with Czech Easter. (10 points)

Coloured eggs
Fried fish
Ham
Various distilled spirits
Ducks
Bunnies
Whips
Pussy-willows
Water splashing
Cake shaped like a lamb

See below for the answers ...








If you said "fried fish" you get a C for a valiant attempt. That's Christmas. No, Czech Easter involves colouring eggs. In fact, this is one of the most beautiful traditions here - the eggs are simply stunning. They start by punching holes in the top and bottom of the egg - they blow out the insides to leave a shell. The shell is then painted and decorated, attached to a ribbon and tied to a tree. Yes, they have an Easter Tree (a bare tree with coloured ribbons and eggs hanging from it).

Often, the eggs are decorated by boiling in water with onion skins. Intricate patterns are achieved by wrapping flowers and leaves around the egg, then placing the egg in a stocking before boiling. This imprints the flower onto the egg - an impressive result!

Of course, like many Czechs, we just bought an egg-dying kit at Carrefour. :)



The next tradition is my personal favorite. You see, pussy-willow branches are woven together to make ... yes! A whip! The whip is used by boys, who go around whipping the legs of girls. They also sing some kind of silly song, and the girls are supposed to give them coloured eggs in return. Now, before you women start to complain that it's unfair, I should say that being whipped on the legs is not a negative thing! No, on the contrary, it ensures youth and beauty in the coming year. And... if you're whipped too many times, I believe you're allowed to splash the boys with water, to wish them the same.

So colour your eggs ladies, and weave (or buy) your whips gentlemen, and get ready to wish each other a Happy Easter!

(Of course, as with all traditions aimed at youngsters, they are often adapted by the older generations ... some things stay the same, whips get longer, transport gets easier, and somehow, coloured eggs turn into shots of alcohol...)


Easter whip, as seen in the vase on the right hand side.

Finally, how cute is this, photo of the weeklong spectacle down on Old Town Square, smack in the middle of the Easter Market ...



And so, I wish you all a belated, if whip-less, Veselé Velikonoce!

posted by europhile @ 08:46