Czech Easter traditions depicted in the feature Easter photo. They include hand-braided whips from willow branches, the wooden noise maker, hand-crafted plum brandy by our very own Moravian Sons Distillery, colorful eggs and the first spring flowers.
Tag Archives: Czech Easter
Easter Monday in Czech & Slovak republics
Czech Easter extends to Easter Monday
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
The major difference between Czech and American Easter, is that Czech Republic has an Easter Monday celebration.
On Easter Monday, the custom in the villages calls for “whipping” of the girls and women to commemorate Christ’s whipping before he was crucified. Boys and men braid the whips from willow branches.
The teams head out early in the morning on Easter Monday. The ladies of the house have readied the ribbons to tie to the whips, shots of plum brandy and colored eggs. The leader of the team carries the longest whip with the most ribbons.
The Monday festivities are known as “pomlazka.”
Some boys carry wooden “rattles” that make deafening noises ushering in the jolly “whipping team.” The rattles were used instead of church bells. Legend has it that the church bells left for Rome.
Slovak variation on Monday Easter feature pouring water or cologne on girls and women.
Women color the eggs quite often in onion skins for natural brown look. Depending on the region, the Easter feast features “kolache,” a festive traditional pastry of modest origins. Kolache are common also in Czech communities across the USA; Cedar Rapids, Bannister, West Texas and countless others.
Easter lamb baked like a pound cake with decorated eggs.
The Easter meal, again depending on the region, will be most likely “rizek” which is a breaded pork, veal or rabbit fried steak with mashed potatoes accompanied by home-made preserved fruits.
Roasted goose or duck can be an alternative.
In Moravia, the host will offer a shot of plum brandy to greet you at the doorstep. The plum brandies are a pride of each household, and as such they differ based on the plums. Plum brandies are made in local distilleries with equal pride in their craft.
Families get together from far and near to duscuss the latest news; who died, who got married or divorced and to gossip about neighbors and friends.
When we transferred Czech customs to North America in the 1990s, we kept the Easter “whipping”, the plum shots, while adding the American egg hunt and having a leg of lamb with herbs for Easter dinner.
We do miss the “kolache” pastry, since I do not know how to make kolache.
Stay tuned for posts about Czech traditions in America including the elusive “kolache.”
Easter eggs.
Czech Easter traditions and symbols.
Pictured above: Easter lamb pound cake, colored eggs called “kraslice”, braided whips and a wooden rattle.
The feature photo: Gentle whipping on Easter at the Pala household somewhere in Midwest America. Pictured are: Ludek Pala, Jakub Pala & Maranda Palova.
Copyright (c) 2018. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Taurus on edge before Easter
As my horoscope states, I am quite on the edge today.
I am trying to sort through tons of information; everything from Bell’s Oberon summer release, Facebook mess, First & Second amendment demonstrations, “Stormy” interview with Anderson Cooper, stormy weather in Michigan, Kim’s message about China, and Easter Triduum preparations.
Amidst all of that, I am getting ready for the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Writing from April 12 through April 14 in Grand Rapids.
I am waffling back and forth between two manuscripts to submit to the Festival. Only one is allowed via the Submittable app. It’s a good thing that I have manuscripts to choose from for publication.
Most of the workshops and festival circles have filled up already. The roster of speakers is so huge that I just don’t know who to pick.
“It can be an overwhelming conference,” wrote my fellow writer and friend Tamela. “I heard Anne Lamont a few years ago…she was awesome.”
The iPad calendar is showing me that I have a webinar in one minute, and a meeting at noon.
I already missed the “blessing of the oils” @St.Andrews Cathedral yesterday.
My facebook friend warned me that he is shutting down his account, because he doesn’t believe FB provides a net-positive contribution to the world.
“We all have a finite amount of time to invest,” he wrote. “The return on investment of my time on Fb, other than the connection with my immediate family, is not worth it.”
Oh, yes; Facebook and fear. I have yet to write about that. I promised that to my fellow writer Sheryl.
“What’s up with that fear?” she asked.
We’re picking up my brother Vas on Good Friday in Paris, MI. That is, if he decides to come and spend the Easter with us.
My parents Ella & Vaclav Konecny are staying in Venice, Fl for Easter.
Stay tuned for full post about Czech & Slovak Easter traditions right here on EW Emma’s Writings.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, the great Russian playwright and short-story writer, said that you must first incubate your story idea for at least two days, so it comes out right.
http://www.tarot.com/daily-horoscope/taurus
Copyright (c) 2018. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
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