Hi everybody!
I have already told you something about Czech traditions observed on the Maundy (Green) Thursday last week but as a matter of fact, it is the Easter Monday that is the most popular and festive day of the Easter holiday in my homeland, the Czech Republic.
Source: Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)
If you think drinking green beer on the Green Thursday is weird, you have probably never heard of one of the most popular traditions we observe today, on the Easter Monday.
In the morning, Czech men and boys visit women and girls (be it their moms, wives, sisters, schoolmates, neighbors, friends…) and they whip them with willow branches and drench them with ice cold water to make sure the women will be fresh and healthy until the next Easter.
As a reward for this “service”, the women are supposed to give the men dyed hard-boiled eggs, sweets (to kids) or a shot of liquor (to adult men) and they would also tie a ribbon around their whip.
I know this Easter tradition might seem very unusual to foreigners but this habit has been a part of our culture for hundreds of years. But not just ours actually, the same tradition is practiced in several other countries such as Slovakia, Poland and Hungary.
Talking about Easter traditions, I would love to hear about yours, my Steemit friends, so I decided to come up with another special contest. If you want to join, submit a photo of some Easter tradition observed in your country and add at least a 50-word description of the tradition.
You can start submitting your Easter photos in the comments below but please make sure to follow these rules:
1 - Submit only your own photo. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.
2 - Only one photo per person.
3 - Add a description of the photo with at least 50 words.
4 - Upvote and resteem this post so that more people can participate in it.
The contest will be open for 7 days (until next Monday). Then, I will go through all of your submissions and choose 3 winners who will receive 15 SBD (first place), 10 SBD (second place) and 5 SBD (third place) from me as the prize.
I am looking forward to your entries.
Happy Easter Monday and good luck to all participants! :)
Please feel free to check out some of my other recent posts.
Travel Tip: Sychrov Chateau, stunning example of Gothic Revival architecture
ColorChallenge - Indigo Saturday - @nenio in 7 World's Continents Photo Challenge!
Tomas
CEO & Founder of CGH
My submission to your Contest:
We hand made and photographed these lovely little Easter eggs for the Easter feast invitation card. After the traditional easter egg hunt the family and friends stood together around the Easter fire and after the fire was burned down we sat together to eat boiled eggs, Easter ham, Easter bread and had some drinks.
Passion Play, a dramatic re-enactment of the story of Jesus's trial, death, and resurrection, is an Easter tradition in several Christian churches. I had the opportunity to attend three such events in the last few years, and I photographed one. My favorite part of the Passion Play is always the resurrection, and this photo of my friend in the role of Jesus captivates me with the amazing light and his excellent rendition of this most important event.
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Beautiful work, both your photo and your friend's performance!
Thank you!
Hi Tomas, I actually saw some pictures of the whipping and water splashing when researching different Easter traditions around the world, but the pictures I saw are from Slovakia. :) Below is my entry:
It happened to be Easter holiday when I visited some American friends in Atlanta. So I joined some activities with them like the grand family dinner, Mass in a local church, etc.. During the Easter, some kids play games related to the Easter eggs, like egg rolling and egg hunt. Painting eggs is also a fun thing to do. Here are some egg candies I painted with the kids in their family. The Easter egg represents Jesus Christ's resurrection. It's said that to symbolize Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross, some people dye the eggs red. While in some regions in China, boiled eggs are dyed red as gifts for newlyweds or newborns, which also comes from the fertility and life connotation of the egg.
More details: https://steemit.com/killerpix/@itchyfeetdonica/76-painting-easter-eggs-with-kids
The Christian custom of Easter eggs, specifically, started among the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs with red colouring "in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at His crucifixion". The Christian Church officially adopted the custom, regarding the eggs as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus, with the Roman Ritual, the first edition of which was published in 1610 but which has texts of much older date, containing among the Easter Blessings of Food, one for eggs, along with those for lamb, bread, and new produce. The blessing is for consumption as a food, rather than decorated.
https://steemit.com/photofeed/@axeman/easter-eggs
This year has been one of the worst for Venezuelans who have practically lost the hope of recovering our tranquility and well-being, every day there are more children eating from the garbage and people dying due to lack of medicines, this is a reality, it is not about a media show to overthrow a dramatically elected government.
https://steemit.com/easter/@annycor/venezuelan-viacrucis
Happy Easter from Agios Nikolaos ,Crete!
I want to share with you a Greek Easter tradition, the burning of an effigy of Judas Iscariot! It takes place around midnight the Saturday just before Easter.
In the picture the effigy stands on a floating platform in the centre of the lake but you can see the same tradition all over Greece to villages and towns, on public squares and by the see, on the islands or in the mainland!
When the priest say Jesus is raised from the Dead fire crackers go off with deafening explosions will the bells are still ringing, the priests are still chanting and people are embracing each other. It is the time that Judas is set on fire as a punishment for his treason!
The resurrection of Jesus brings victory over sin. Freed people from sin.The light of sunlight has emerged in the life of Jesus in the resurrection of Jesus. So this episode is named Easter.
The celebration of this new year begins on Saturday night. On Saturday night, Jesus' resurrection was proclaimed in the wake of salvation, and everyone was rejoiced in the resurrection.The lamp of the resurrection is lit, a large candle, which declares: Jesus' resurrection brings new life, new life in life; Jesus' resurrection has removed the darkness of sin; People have been renewed with deathlike Jesus Christ.
This ambitious light is the light of light. This festival calls us all to be illuminated and resurrected with Jesus to be exposed in His light.Young and old people take part in the rituals of worship in the new rituals.
Many people are lying in the caves of falsehood, stolen, drug addiction, terrorism, massacre, rioting, murders, gossip, libel, public mud slogans, etc . Easter or Resurrection brings out the life of this darkness and calls the people to come to the kingdom of light.
Check my post sir,
https://steemit.com/wafrica/@anikearn/special-easter-photo-contest-for-30-sbd-by-czechglobalhosts
Easter in Slovakia is considered to be the most important Christian holiday. Ladies in the house are busy cooking and baking all types of the Easter goodies. The foods most typical for the Easter are Paska bread, egg cheese – Hrudka, smoked pork ham (of lamb), bacon and sausages, hard boiled eggs and various pastries.I have to mention also our Easter decorations. To decorate your house before Easter is equally important like the cooking. It’s mostly women who decorate. Symbols of Easter in Slovakia are lamb, small bunnies and little yellow chicks. On Monday morning girls have to get up early in order to avoid being splashed with bucket of water in their beds. Then they have make sure that have enough dry clothes ready in order to survive more water splashing and whipping with korbac. Yes, on Easter Monday Slovak women and girls get splashed and whipped. The water splashing tradition is called “Oblievacka” and the whipping part is named “sibacka.” It’s the day hated by women and loved by men :-)
In France in the morning the parents will hide the easter eggs in the garden then ring a bell because for us it is the easter bells that flight overs our houses and drop the chocolate eggs and bunnies:) Then children come with their basket and look for the eggs.! I live in Australia and it is a very similar tradition but I think it is the Easter bunny that brings the eggs!!!This is my little bunny on her egg hunt last weekend:)
A couple of weeks ago we took part in a workshop about pisanka (Polish Easter eggs). All the process is quite fun and interesting. Our kids all were excited about drawing with wax, coloring in the different jars with paints and melting the wax on fire.
Click image to view large
This Sunday we will celebrate Easter. Usually we draw eggs and bake Easter - these are the obligatory attributes of the holiday. Then we go to church with the Easter basket. The whole family is going to celebrate. Neighbors greet each other and give each other dyed hard-boiled eggs. I congratulate everyone on this bright holiday!
Among the concepts that give Easter, is that of food with eggs because you could not hunt during the winter because of the snow and cold. It is more a gastronomic event than a religious one. In Venezuela we do not celebrate it since it does not fall snow, but for some years we have adapted the custom since it is something very familiar and of meeting.
I love chocolate and children love it. It is a beautiful tradition. Happy Easter.
We at Buttpacker decided to spice things up a little this Easter.
Cruelty free diets and lifestyles seem to be getting increasingly popular as people start becoming more and more aware of animal based products and its effects on our bodies and on the environment.
In light of this, we thought we should try and promote an alternative to the beloved Easter past time of painting eggs...
... by painting butts instead!
↑ Picasso at work
So far the reaction to our unconventional Easter celebration seems to be mostly positive, and we got a great suggestion to even include an Easter egg hunt next year! What do you guys think?
I took kids to the park where our governnment center organized egg scramble. They together got 25 eggs. It was to many candies in my opinion for two little kids, so most of it we put away. It was our first time actually when we did egg hunt. Since I had to go with my toddler to watch her find eggs some adults were really trying to push and get their eggs... I was a little bit shocked and tried to protect my kid from being pushed by an adult. In general it was fun for all the kids there and some parents...
I am coming from another culture, so I’ve never had an egg hunting experience before.
Hello Friends!
Firstly, I want to say Happy Easter Monday & this one I take it this Easter Monday.
Well, i'm from Czech so this is our tradation, you guys are reading from this article & know about our tradation.
I want to something about our Easter Monday Tradation. Easter Monday, the first Monday after the first full moon in April. Traditionally, Czech boys & men braid willow branches (pomlázky) and adorn them with lots of colorful Ribbons. Then they go caroling & visiting female friends whom they gently switch with their pomlázky. In return their female friends present them with some colored eggs, chocolate & other treats!
The head of the household switched everyone, including livestock, for good luck.
Easter Monday is a day of joy for children and adults alike and is the most active day during Easter in Prague. In Prague the coloured type is most popular as when you boil the eggs you just add colour and it impregnates the eggshell. May be its painted, may be coloured or even just white also! The best known rhyme still remains always our tradation.
"Hody, Hody, Doprovody
dejte vejce malovany,
nedate-li malovany,
dejte aspon bily,
vsak vam slepicka snese jiny."
Just love this rhyme to our tradation.
Easter -- like many holidays around the world -- combine religious and secular celebrations. For Christians, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ following his crucifixion and redemption of mankind from sin, and is the most important of the religious holidays.
But the holiday also occurs in the Spring, a time of natural renewal following Winter. This was a holiday celebrated by many non-Christians and pre-Christians, as it still is. The renewal of Spring is symbolized by many fertility symbols, including eggs and rabbits.
The two celebrations -- both dealing with renewal -- have merged in secular Western societies.
As unexpected as it gets, this 10year old male friend of mine was the easiest whipping experience in my whole 25year-long easter career in whipping girls :D. Immediately as this dude saw me with my whip aimed in his direction, he got into this surrended (missionary :D) position and enjoyed it all - beginning with whip and water to even parfume :D He's a male :D
I wish girls would cooperate like this friend of mine did today :D
One of the most fun traditions is the Easter Rabbit, where children go looking for chocolate eggs, and are always decorated with bright colors to make them easy to find. In this photo is my cousin Ellie, she is 3 years old and she enjoys looking for chocolate eggs with the other children of the residence, where all the neighbors agree to decorate everything the night before and place the eggs before that the children wake up and so keep the magic for them. It is a very beautiful tradition that still remains in Connecticut, United States.
In Hungary, Easter Monday is called Ducking Monday. This is because there is a very old tradition that young men would duck or dip their wife or girlfriend in a pond.
In medieval England, people would not work on Easter Monday or the Tuesday either and it was called Hocktide.
Happy easter too you.and its very nice photo.
Wish you a happy Easter
I love the colored balls I like to try
I want to try it so maybe i can be the winner :), i like you share cultural traditions in your country because i learn at the same time i read you. Regards
very nice color friends.
Cute.
Yes, that strange and interesting tradition, but I would like to try a day with my wife🤪. Now seriously, what is the origin of that tradition Tomas?
Your culture is nothing but special. Though it seem unsual, but no culture is above the other. Enjoy and be bless @czechglobalhosts. Shalom
YOu right we in Poland have the Same tradition , I will go to my mom at evening to gather with the family eat together talk and have a good evening , I will try to do some photos and share it with you guys :)
Thanks for sharing this subject
Happy Easter
Although i am a student of the cultural studies but to be very honest this is a quite new thing for me and i was unaware of it until i read your blog.
Unfortunately, in my traditions we do not celebrate it so this would be not possible for me to take the photos of this wonderful event. But i am really looking forward to see the superb photos with cool description of 50 words.
Great contest and i fully support it Tomas ;)
Congratulations on Easter Day. Here is a picture of my Easter gift that I was given.
Instead of the Easter eggs like every year, I was given a new gift. It was a resurrected chicken basket. It was fun and cute.
Thanks for the great work and the contests. Keep them posted.
I do believe it is the women who drench the men with ice cold water if they come to whip them with willow branches after 12am. At least this is how we had it in Prague and on the north. Although in Moravia, thanks to ''slivovica'', drenching with cold water is not happening only on Easter Monday, I imagine. Good job @czechglobalhosts for spreading nice words about our country! I am happy you are doing great over there (and here)! Happy steeming! @imbi
WARNING: The use of images that are not your own on which you claim the ownership will be flagged and/or reported to @steemcleaners - HELPING TO STOP PLAGIARISM ON STEEMIT
This photo is not yours. It is from a film series directed by Joseph Dielle.
a) I was posting it as a joke, to my fellow Czech and we both know it is from a famous comedy filmed back in Czechoslovakia.
b) Therefore I could not even imagine somebody thinking it was my work.
c) The movie was directed by Dušan Klein.
d) People posting funny animations with famous actors also do not specify that it is not their work, but it is still obvious to everybody.
e) Actors, from the left: Karel Roden, Joseph Dielle and Pavel Kříž.
You are right, Dušan Klein directed it, and Joseph Dielle was one of the actors in it. You would be surprised with some of the stuff that people try and get away with in the contests, that is why I was letting you know.
I hate plagiarism too, so I got a bit offended. But your intentions were good and I hope I did not overreact. Happy steeming!
No, you didn't over react at all. Have a great rest of your day and Happy steeming to you as well.
Good convo guys!
In Franconia, the region of Germany where my father is from, it is a tradition to decorate fountains with colourful hand-painted eggs. Apart from the normal single-coloured eggs there are some really beautiful ones with unique detailed drawings. The world's biggest easter-fountain is found in the small village of Bieberach, close to where my grandmother used to live.
So you do make resteems mandatory to enter this contest?
I want; to try it so ;maybe i can be ;the winner? i like you share? cultural traditions in your country because i learn at the same time ;i read you? Regards?????
The best known Ukrainian Easter tradition has to be the pysanka, eggs decorated with traditional folk designs. Over time the tradition has evolved, as many traditions do, so that now there seems to be a competition of sorts every year to come up with designs more modern or even outlandish than before. And it’s not confined only to eggs, but to anything in the shape of an egg, regardless of size, as seen in my photo.
More at my post here... https://steemit.com/photography/@mattcreate/we-ve-got-the-biggest-easter-eggs-of-them-all
Ouch! The whipping doesn’t sound like too much fun. I propose that next year be opposite day, where it is the women who’ll whip the men, haha!
Personally I’ll stick with dying hard-boiled eggs and hiding candy Easter eggs for the kids to find. One year, I hid them so well that they didn’t find them all, and they kept turning up behind furniture during in-depth house-cleaning months later!
Officially in the US, it is the Easter Bunny that leaves the eggs. It doesn’t make much sense to me since bunnies don’t lay eggs (unless it is a special species I am not aware of).
In France as children, we were told that the church bells had flown to Rome during lent and were flying back the night before Easter to celebrate. And boy, did they ring on Easter morning! So it must have been true, because each one of us found a nice big chocolate egg hidden in the bushes.
Easter Photo Contest???
Aka nadhera, ze tu niekto vie, ako sa oslavuje poriadne velka noc! :D Super napad, dala by som aj ja nieco, lenze fotku, ako lezim oblecens vo vani, lebo nestacil kiblik, neexistuje :D
Tesilo ma citanie a aj moje krasne spomienky, ktore si mi vytvoril. DAKUJEM.
Thanks so much...entry loading
great contest....i want to submit...
my entry...
https://steemit.com/artzone/@feryza/art
Thanks for sharing
Easter is celebrated twice in our region, because historically Transcarpathia was part of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and now Ukraine, , therefore, we have many mixed families on a religious basis, for example: a husband is a Catholic, and wife's parents are Orthodox. But we have the same tradition of Easter Monday as the Czech Republic regardless Catholic or Orthodox Easter: men and boys visit women and girls, drench them with cold water (or parfume ;-) ) to make sure that women will be fresh and healthy until the next Easter.
But there is another tradition. When we visit relatives on Easter, we exchange Easter eggs
saying: "Christ is risen" and answering: "Verily, it is risen!"