It’s that time of the year again for Czech women to spend hours upon hours in the kitchen and for Czech men to prepare their whips… Easter is coming!
If I want to shock someone in America, I tell them about Czech Easter traditions, particularly about Easter Monday. It is the wild card of my stories; the guaranteed show stopper.
This year´s reactions from my foreign friends and students to Czech Easter included: perplexed smiles, raised eyebrows, and responses such as, Are you serious? This is a joke, right? and That´s barbaric!
To celebrate Easter, Czechs (like in many other countries) adorn their homes with pussy willow twigs, elaborately decorated eggs, and various bunny or chick figurines. We are very inventive and no material is too strange for us to use – be it straw, wax, or lace.
Czech women seclude themselves in their kitchens baking gingerbread cookies, beránek (a cake in the shape of a lamb), mazanec (sweet bread with almonds) or jidáše (a sweet pastry in the shape of rope to commemorate Judas’ death), not to mention cooking meat loaf, Easter stuffing, and lamb.
There are no photo sessions with the Easter Bunny or Easter egg hunts, but do not worry, Czech kids will be given plenty of chocolate and candy.
During Easter weekend, Czechs enjoy going to traditional Easter markets and craft exhibitions that feature various handmade items, walking in the countryside or just relaxing – unless you are a woman – then you are engaged in preparations for Easter Monday.
Easter Sunday is usually dedicated to church (if one is observant) and egg coloring. People use artificial food coloring or natural colors distilled, for instance, from red beets and onion peels. Kids like to decorate with stickers or plants. The latter is achieved by inserting leaves together with a white egg into a nylon sock, which is then tied and dipped in the coloring liquid. If done properly, you can create beautiful designs.
It is the folk tradition performed on Monday, however, which separates us from the rest of the civilized world (except Slovakia – they are with us regardless of their destruction of Czechoslovakia in 1993).
Growing up I developed a habit of waking early on Easter Monday to get ready for this unique tradition. I would quickly layer on tights, leggings and jeans. Sometimes I even tried to insert a small pillow in the seat of my pants; I was taking no risks.
The men in my family would not hesitate to rush into my room early in the morning and whip my exposed legs sticking from under my sheets. When I was 12 I remember our neighbor coming to whip my mom and I at 7 a.m.; he must have had a lot of visits ahead of him.
On Easter Monday morning men take their whips – braided willow twigs decorated with ribbons – and set off on their Easter adventure. The higher number of twigs in the braid, the more admiration a gentleman will receive for his skill. The size of the whip may range from a tiny one, for a small child, to ones that are taller than a man.
Czech men visit their relatives, friends and neighbors´ houses and whip women for good health while reciting an Easter poem. The whipping should end with the last line of the poem. In return they receive a colored egg – the symbol of new life – or a shot of alcohol (slivovice or some other fire water). Little boys get chocolate bunnies, eggs or chicks.
Now, if you do not wish to be whipped, you can run. In fact, I did so most years. However, for those of you who are aware of my lack of athletic abilities, it is not a surprise to learn that I was always caught rather easily.
Being whipped by a little boy is endearing. Older boys and men can be less gentle. I remember my little brother weeping and refusing to ‘hit’ mommy. Interestingly enough he got over it as he grew up.
Easter is a very popular holiday with Czechs…
It is an opportunity to clean your house thoroughly like you are expecting a visit from the Health Inspector.
It is a time to clear out the baking aisles in supermarkets and spend all your free time in front of the oven.
It is an occasion for socializing, paying visits to your relatives and friends, and to eat and drink with complete impunity.
Easter Monday ends with red marks on girls´ legs and butts, myriads of colored, boiled eggs that everyone will have to eat for at least the next 3 days, severe hangovers, and extra policemen on the roads - the Czech Republic has a 0.0% blood alcohol driving limit and the police know they will be catching quite a few people on this day.
This year I was excited that I would be spared of Easter ‘pain,’ as I have a toddler son and an American husband who finds this part of Czech culture a little strange. Nevertheless, I managed to get myself a little Easter “owie” anyway by touching a hot baking tray. My “mazanec” is golden brown, but so are my fingertips.
Happy Easter! Veselé Velikonoce!
For Czech Easter recipes go to: http://www.czechcookbook.com/category/easter/
Special thanks to E. Sedláčková, T. Šimčíková, V. Janyšková and K. Koutná (the author of Czech Cookbook) for providing me with their Easter pictures.