Prague Twin

Monday, April 09, 2007

Happy Easter Monday


Here you see the Czech "pomlazka" which is used on Easter Monday (that is not a mistake, we celebrate Easter on Monday here) to whip the women with. This traditional whipping is to ensure that your woman will be lively, healthy, and beautiful the entire year. Certainly this tradition has it's roots in the the Pagan spring fertility rituals.

Upon being whipped, the women are then to be doused in water. Some say this is to cool them off (because being whipped makes them so hot) but others contest it is simply part of the ritual which injects life into the women. After this, the men are rewarded for their work with eggs and/or shots of liquor. In the villages, roaming packs of young men go door to door, extorting free booze from each house in return for NOT whipping the women.

It is all in good fun, but when I tell my American friends about this tradition they usually think I'm just making it up. Clearly, I'm not.

posted by Praguetwin at 11:39 AM

15 Comments:

  • Good God! This is Easter? How bizarre is that?

    By Blogger Publia, at 3:24 PM  

  • Yep, that is Easter in the Czech Republic. Hard to believe isn't it?

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 6:07 PM  

  • Interesting local custom. Easter on Monday, eh? I remember in Greece, the Thursday before Good Friday is a holiday, and the Monday after Easter is also a holiday. Maybe they were just trying to take an unofficial Spring Break and give it religious overtones :)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:41 PM  

  • Sounds kinky to me. I often quote; a woman a dog and a walnut tree
    the more you beat them the better they be.

    By Blogger Cartledge, at 1:25 AM  

  • Are you trying to convert me to ex-pat status? (jk)

    By Blogger Frederick, at 1:54 AM  

  • Wow - I'm stunned. Are you sure this isn't a "comedy bit" on the Imus program?

    By Blogger Reality-Based Educator, at 4:19 PM  

  • As crazy and kinky as it is, it is reality.

    Like I said, most Americans can't even believe it, but it is true.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 7:42 PM  

  • sounds a lot cooler than a bunny and chocolate eggs

    By Blogger Graeme, at 8:14 PM  

  • Sexier too.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 8:18 PM  

  • Hey, Mike, now you should tell them about the weather girl...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:11 AM  

  • They phased her out. What a pity.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 3:17 PM  

  • Oh no! I promised my husband if we move to CR he can watch the weather girl every night. Now what am I going to bribe him with?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:41 AM  

  • Easter Monday, perhaps?

    There is plenty of nudity on the television without the weather girl anyway.

    Welcome, by the way, I think you are a new vistor.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 2:53 PM  

  • Thank you for the welcome, Praguetwin. Yes, I'm new here. I found you from a comment you posted at the Impolitic. That's my sister by the way, although we don't always agree. And I think I'll be hanging around if you don't mind, especially for the little snippets of Czech happenings. I really would like to come back and visit now that the Russians are gone. I still have family there although the last generation is dying off. My cousin's son went back to visit several years ago and took really nice video. There have been so many changes and I want to see it all. All I need to do is convince my husband he will love it and fine some spare change....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:52 PM  

  • Rockync,

    Of course, you are more than welcome: the more the merrier. Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

    Keep working on your husband: I've never met a man who didn't love it here. I keep trying to convince my mom that she could sell her property in the states, buy a house and several rental properties here, retire and live like a queen.

    She lives in California though, and doesn't like the weather here.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 11:29 AM  

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