Easter is a truly delightful time in the Czech Republic. I have been lucky to spend three Easters in Prague, and luckier still to have celebrated the holiday as a local. Easter is very much a celebration of Spring, filled with color and amusing traditions that date back to pre-Christian times.

Beautifully decorated Easter eggs are displayed at an Easter market in Prague

Almost at the first sign of spring, delightful street markets pop up in the streets of Prague, selling beautifully decorated Easter eggs, pomlázky (braided whips made of pussywillow twigs), gingerbread, arts, crafts, toys and –of course- plenty of Czech beer.

The Easter celebration begins on Ugly Wednesday, the last day of school before children are off for the Easter vacation. On Green Thursday, Good Friday and White Saturday, schoolboys shake wooden rattles as they march through the town, to chase away Judas.

Easter Sunday is a day of preparation for the celebration to come the following day, Easter Monday. Women begin preparations for dinner, including baking a lamb shaped cake. Girls and women decorate eggs. Men and boys put the finishing touches on their pomlázky.

If you are a woman, Easter Monday can be quite painful.  On this day, men and boys of all ages enthusiastically whip women and girls across the legs with their pomlázky while singing Easter carols.

Illustration of a boy with a pomlázka -- and his victim

The girls are expected to give a decorated Easter egg or candy to the boy to stop the thrashing. Older men expect women to offer shots of slivovice (plum liquor).

As you can imagine, the more slivovice a man consumes as Easter Monday progresses, the more enthusiastic he gets with his whipping!

The original meaning of the whipping with a pomlázka dates back to pagan times, when people believed that the thrashing would bring health to all who were whipped.

I still look back at my first whipping with a pomlázka as my initiation into my Czech family.

If you are ever planning a trip to the Czech Republic, I would highly recommend Easter as the time to visit. Just beware of men and boys bearing branches….Veselé Velikonoce!