Easter Monday traditions in Czech & Slovak villages
By Emma Palova
Stipa, Czech Republic- Emma & Ella Chavent get Easter whipping with custom home-made whips on Monday. For French girl Ella, it is the first time participating in an age-old tradition. She will tie a ribbon to the whips.
According to most, the lashing does not hurt.
On Easter Monday in Czech Republic, boys and men in villages head out to whip girls and women of the house. In turn for the whipping, they get shots of plum brandy, eggs and treats. The tradition resembles the whipping of the Christ. It is a holiday. Most men make their own braided whips from willow branches. The big whips have 12 willow branches, that have to be soaked overnight in hot water before braiding. They also have a braided handle. The girls tie ribbons to the whips.
At the end of the day, the groups walk the sidewalks with colorful whips. The whip with the most ribbons becomes a token of pride. The most popular girls run out of ribbons.
In neighboring country Slovakia, the men pour water on the women and girls, sort of like the “bucket challenge” here., as well as the whipping.
The cold water signifies health, beauty and purification.
Here is an excerpt from a Globe & Mail article by Slovak-Canadian writer Miriam Matejova:
“My Slovak Easter traditions mixed paganism with blatant gender inequality,” she wrote. “As a naturalized Canadian, I have treasured my ability to choose the traditions I find appealing and disregard those I detest. I have come to understand that it is fine to let go of some pieces of home and adopt a few new ways instead.”
Lowell, MI-I would like to wish everyone a happy Easter from the EW team. So, you can enjoy it with your family and friends like we do. Our family had to celebrate early, because of our multicultural differences.
Czech Easter traditions and symbols.
We had a great time with Maranda, Jake and Josephine Palova. I even got my weight lifting in by throwing her up and down in my arms. She weighs exactly what I lift, that is 20 pounds.
For our Easter meal we had fried turkey loins with potato salad. Our appetizer featured open-faced sandwiches and classical Walachian salad or fleisch salad.
Czech Easter whipping custom.
In the afternoon, we practiced the Czech whipping custom. In turn for whipping, Maranda and I gave shots of plum brandy to the men.
“This is great mom,” said Jake. “Just like at home.”
Easter dessertsEaster eggs.
Well, back in Czech Republic, the big day is Easter Monday. Yet to come. Happy Easter to all.
In my memoir “Greenwich Meridian,” I write about Czech and Slovak traditions that I have witnessed while living in Czechoslovakia with a touch of nostalgia. Some of them disappeared along with the old regimes, but most have survived mainly in villages and small towns preserved by enthusiastic small groups of people. Festive costumes for the holidays and special events reflect these traditions, as well as music, dance, food, and customs specific to each village and town.
We lived in Zlin, Moravia, which is the central part of former Czechoslovakia embedded in traditions. Both as a child and an adult, I lived and visited with my grandparents in Vizovice, a treasure trove of traditions.
Cousin Bronislav Pink ready for “schmigrust”
Easter celebrations in Czech and some other European countries are longer by one day, and that is Monday.
We have always indulged in lavish preparations for the long Easter weekend. That meant having enough meat, desserts, eggs, and beverages for three days. There were long lines just like before any major holiday. I spent a lot of time standing in lines and listening to what the old broads had to say.
“I am not going to tell him how much I spent,” a woman wearing a scarf and a fluffy skirt shook her head defiantly.
The other one with an apron over her dress smelled of burnt dough.
I thought, she must have burnt her kolache, a traditional festive pastry with plum butter.
The broad leaned closer to the first one and whispered something into her ear. Then they both laughed, until their bellies and chests were heaving up and down. I learned a lot standing in lines. The longer the line, the more I learned.
So, the culmination of it all is Easter Monday known for its “schmigrust,” an old whipping custom.
Traditional Czech festive costumes.
On that day, early in the morning ,large groups of boys and young men head out into the streets with their braided knot-grass whips or oversized wooden spoons decorated with ribbons. The day before, they spent many hours skillfully braiding their whips out of willow twigs or scouring the house for the biggest wooden spoon.
The boys go door to door, reciting traditional Easter carols like “Hody, hody doprovody,” asking the lady of the house for painted eggs. Then, they whip all the present women in exchange for decorated eggs and ribbons. Single women, and girls tied ribbons on top of the whip. I always wondered about the whipping custom, long before I ever set my foot out into the world. One day, grandma Anna finally explained it to me.
“It is supposed to resemble the whipping of Christ before he died,” she said.
“But, grandma that’s evil,” I cried.
Grandma just shrugged, and turned away. Later in life, I knew better than to question a tradition.
Easter desserts
Women of the house offered shots of plum brandy, usually home-made or acquired through bartering to the “schmigrust” groups. Even family members took part in this ritual. Uncles and cousins visited for coffee, festive desserts such as kolache, shots and meaningful conversation.
On a good year, and especially when I was a teenager, we got anywhere around 100 passionate revelers. Sometimes, I ran out of ribbons. The boys and young men, competing against each other, took pride in the number of ribbons they got. The craft stores had to stock up with meters and meters of ribbons, plain or embroidered. The hens, of course, felt obligated to produce more eggs.
I have created a monthly newsletter so all can stay in the loop. It highlights news from my Emma Blogs including the flagship EW Emma’s Writings site on http://emmapalova.com
I will always feature in it: the current editorial calendar and excerpts from the editor’s picks for each month. The editor’s pick for the month of April is the story “IW Hiker babe walks 4,600 miles in memory of daughter.” I will also include valuable blogging tips both in content and in design. Eventually I will add marketing tips as well.
You can find the story on the company blog/website Emma Blogs on http;//emmablogsllc.wordpress.com
Blogging is a constantly evolving story. You can send your story with a link to your blog. Why did you start blogging?
Happy Easter and blogging to all from
Emma and the EW team
Google trekker captures fascinating vistas of the Mighty Mac in Michigan
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
I crossed the Mackinac Bridge many times over the last two decades. I never walked it during the annual Labor Day walk, and I haven’t been to the top of the masts or below the bridge. I am afraid of open heights, and I don’t know if the Mackinac Bridge Authority would let me climb up there.
But, other than the top or below the bridge, I’ve taken photos of it from just about any angle including from a ferry to Mackinac Island, from both shores of Upper and Lower peninsulas. The bridge is so magnificent that you get a clear view of it from the island.
And here is what Google did.
Google trekker provides fascinating vistas on the featured photo above from one of the Mackinac Bridge’s masts. Volunteers climbed through the trunk in the mast much like in a submarine to the top with the 40-pound Google trekker device. They walked around with the device on their backs, while 15 lenses in the globe of the device took fascinating shots of the Mackinac Bridge and the area, as presented in a video “Pure Michigan.”
Below are traditional photos of the five-mile long Mackinaw Bridge in Michigan by Emma Palova.
Driving on the Mighty Mac in Michigan.Mackinaw Bridge from the Lower Peninsula view.
View of the Mackinaw Bridge from the Upper Peninsula.
The last time I crossed the bridge was in November of 2014 as the first snow fell on the bridge deck. The ride across the five-mile long bridge is creepy, and many drivers take the service offered by the bridge authority, even truck drivers. Bridge drivers will take you across.
If there are high winds, the bridge gets closed.
Here are some bridge facts from mackinac.com
Mackinac Bridge
The bridge was designed by the great engineer David B. Steinman and opened on November 1, 1957. The structure took 48 months to complete with over 3, 500 workers and $99,800,000 dollars. Also know as the “Big Mac” or the “Mighty Mac”, the bridge stretches 8,614 feet making it the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world. With a total span of about 5 miles, the Mackinac Bridge connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan uniting the communities of Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, Michigan. The main bridge cables are made from 42,000 miles of wire and the towers stand 554 feet above the water and 210 feet below to the bedrock. The engineering of the Mackinac Bridge was designed to accommodate the high winds, temperature changes and constant changes of weight. In severe conditions the deck at center span could move up to 35 feet. Under more subtle conditions, the deck could move slowly in one direction based on the force and direction of the winds.
Fun bridge construction facts
* 89,000 blueprints and structural drawings were made
* 71,300 tons of structural steel
* 931,000 tons of concrete
* 42,000 miles of cable wire
* 4,851,700 steel rivets
* 1,016,600 steel bolts
* 350 engineers
* 522 feet tall
* 1,024,500 tons in total weight
* 7,500 men and women that worked in quarries, shops, mills
* 1951 Chevrolet Styleine Deluxe owned by Albert Carter was the first car to cross the Mackinac Bridge
The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk is held every year on Labor Day. Two lanes of traffic are closed and 50-80,000 people, all led by the Governor of Michigan walk together over the bridge. Bicycles are prohibited on the Mackinac Bridge, however the Big Mac Shoreline tour is held in June and September, which takes its participants for a trip over the bridge. During the summer months, the Mackinac Bridge has become a major diverse tourist destination for bridge enthusiasts, bird-watchers and photographers.
Bridge fares begin at $2 per axle and increase from there. Fares are subject to change without notice.
This is one of my favorite writing themes. And that is Czech names in the calendar. Each day is dedicated to a different name. Of course some are more popular than others. Probably the most widely celebrated name day is March 19th which is Joseph’s/Josephine’s day.
Since Joseph is a very popular name in Czech, everybody celebrates much like Saint Pat’s here in the USA. It doesn’t mean that the day is an official holiday, but it is very similar to huge Saint Pat’s celebrations in Chicago and Canada.
And even though they don’t color their rivers green or march in parades, March 19th is still a big deal. Usually women bake for the day, and plum brandy known as slivovice flows freely, even at work.
The men sit in pubs and other public hospitality establishments. Other names like Emma have been incorporated into the Czech calendar from other countries. The name Emma originates in France.
A lot of names come from Russia like Sasha or Sergej or from other surrounding countries like Poland and Germany.
Czech calendar with name days.
In many cases, there are more than one name dedicated to each day because of the influence from the Western countries. There are cards for each name day. That’s a lot of cards.
Among the most popular modern names for men are Jakub and Luke, even though it keeps changing constantly. For women I have yet to find out. But it also could be Katerina and Marta.
Chicago river turns green on Saint Pat’s.
Also each church has a patron saint. The most popular ones are Saint Mary’s. They have their own feast celebrations such as Saint Mary’s in Stipa that celebrates the feast on September 12th which is Mary’s day.
The communities celebrate the patron saints with wakes, carnivals and fairs. Different carnival companies come to towns, and the feast is preceded by a dance.
Locally, in Parnell there is Saint Pat’s Church that celebrates the feast last weekend in June. It is a major fundraiser for Saint Pat’s School.
It usually features a polka band on Sundays and chicken dinners. The dinners are very popular, and people come from all over. The parish women bake desserts, and there is a display of old cars, 50:50 raffle and cards on Friday and Saturday nights.
Of course there is a beer tent and an auction. The patron feasts are important to all the parishes as a way to celebrate the saint.
Happy International Women’s Day to all women from the EW team on Emma Blogs, LLC.
The featured image is from SowHope.org whose mission is to help women of the Third World countries in order to fight poverty. Watch for a story on SowHope president Mary Dailey Brown of Grand Rapids. Brown travels to African countries to empower women to help themselves with provided funds and through education.
Inspiring Women at home and around the world
Enigmatic orchids
Note: This is the sixth installment in a feature series about Inspiring Women. It is dedicated to all women who are trying to make a difference and better other people’s lives, as well as their own.
In putting together this feature series, I was inspired by several moments in life that in particular stand out.
No.1 A dedication of a Relax, mind, body & soul book by Barbara Heller from my son Jake: “I dedicate this to my inspiring and motivational mother.” Kuba
No. 2 While on a story before Mother’s Day, I dropped in at Ace Bernard Hardware to talk about the prizes with owner Charlie Bernard. We talked also about the Lowell Area Chamber and its director Liz Baker.“You know what I like about Liz, she keeps re-inventing herself,” Bernard said.
No. 3 Again on a story for the International Women’s Day I talked to Sow Hope president Mary Dailey Brown.“If you want to make a difference in this world, seriously consider helping impoverished women. Helping women is the key to unlocking poverty.”
No. 4 At a parents teacher conference at Cherry Creek Elementary in Lowell in mid 1990s: “Mrs. Pala, we do not give up,” teacher Karen Latva said.
Belding woman works to fix injustice in education & in society
Name: Lynn Mason Occupation: retired teacher, former Ionia County commissioner, 2014 candidate for state representative
Residence: Otisco Township
Family: husband Frank, two grown sons Marty & Richard, two grandchildren Payton and Jackson, daughter-in-law Jamie
Hobbies & interests: reading, gardening, biking, walking, kayaking and other outdoor activities
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
Belding, MI – As a retired teacher from a rural school, Lynn Mason has always been concerned about injustice, whether in education or social. But, Mason never left it to just being concerned. She got her handle on politics through her involvement with the Michigan Education Association (MEA) at both the state and national levels while teaching at the Belding Area Schools. She bargained contracts for 20 years. “When I see injustice or need, I try to make it better,” she said. “It hasn’t always been easy.”
Lynn Mason 2014 candidate
Ambitious, adventurous, people- oriented with leadership skills, Mason is mainly motivated if someone says you can’t do something. “That’s my number one motivation,” she said. As a former Ionia county commissioner with a majority of Republican population, Mason got involved in the Ionia County Democratic Party. She is now the chair of the Ionia County Democratic Party. Mason was still teaching when she got elected to the Ionia County Commission Board, and she was re-elected three times.
She served a total of eight years, until she had to give up her seat to run for the 86th District in the Michigan State House. “I ran unopposed for the third commissioner term,” she said. “I consider that a compliment.”
And even though she didn’t win the state representative seat, Mason gained a huge following.
“I got people interested in politics, they were positive for the cause,” she said. “We had great conversations. It doesn’t make me a loser. So many good things came out of it.” And nothing will stop her from running again for the state representative seat in 2016.
Candidate Lynn Mason knocking on doors in 2014
Mason is working on broadening her platform beyond education. “I don’t like boredom,” she said. “I need some sort of challenge and to have my hands in something.”
She most certainly does have her hands in a lot of things. Other than chairing the Ionia Democratic Party, building up the membership and raising money, Mason is the president of the local chapter of Delta, Kappa, and Gamma society of female professional educators who put on educational related events.
The most recent one was in Greenville and at the Ellis School in Belding. The group performed a play for first graders about friendship and diversity. Mason is also on the Belding Labor Day Committee and would like to get involved with the Belding Chamber of Commerce. She is the chairperson for Substance Use Disorder Advisory Committee known as SUDAC. “I have a community service focus,” she said.
2014 candidate Lynn Mason with student volunteer Dan Embedding
In response to how does she approach large projects such as campaigning, Mason said, “I lay a foundation and everything comes through with what I have done. I needed a campaign manager and people with experience. So, I asked for a campaign manager, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it alone.”
Mason’s inspiration is her athletic background. She played tennis and golf on boy’s teams because there were no girl’s teams. Her role model is definitely Eleanor Roosevelt.
On the theme of challenges in life, Mason said the biggest challenge was parenting and overall family life. Growing up on three meals a day, Mason knew she wouldn’t be able to do that as a teacher, MEA negotiator, a wife and a mother.
Lynn Mason speaking during campaign
“You can’t do it all,” she said. “It’s okay to have tuna or grilled cheese sandwich. You will survive on peanut butter. That way it’s less pressure.”
And even though Mason is very independent, there were three women in her life that played a big role. They were her mother, mother-in-law and mother equivalent,
“I’ve learned different things from each one of them,” she said. “My mother was proud of me and propelled me.” On the other hand, mother-in-law was a retired teacher and saw injustices in education.
“She used me as a conduit, but she pushed me and encouraged me,” Mason said. Mother equivalent (father’s second wife) taught her about violence encounters. Mason has always worked hard herself and taught the same to the students. “People notice if you work hard,” she said. “Good will always come to those who work hard, not always quickly but you have to take the high road.”
Lynn Mason speaks with veteran Juanita Woodward on her 2014 campaign trail.
Her biggest fear is irrelevance. Her biggest pride is being a retired teacher of 30 years. “I never want to be irrelevant,” she said. “I am not scared of public speaking. I am pretty brave.” In face of adversity, Mason said she works through it with friends and through relationships, and biking. “I ride my bike hard until I have a solution,” she said.
On the issue of women’s equality with men in the USA.“No, we don’t have equality yet,” she said. “When you look at the wage difference and at the makeup of those in the state and federal legislature, it becomes obvious. However, I am hopeful that more women will gain the confidence to overcome the obstacles and start going for more positions typically presumed to be a man’s job. Then there will be more equity.”
Lynn Mason, the woman behind the superwoman.
1-What makes you feel good about yourself?Lynn: When I accomplish a project.
2-How about secrets, do you have any secrets?Lynn: I have secrets. Everybody has. If you reveal them, you must have a trust relationship. I approach it cautiously: how is it going to affect someone else?
3-Any tips and advice for other women?Lynn: Be true to yourself. You don’t have to be perfect. Try something new.
Lowell, MI -I must say I am at a loss with today’s blogging assignment #7 to create an event, whether virtual or real.
I’ve been thinking about WordPress Camps for some time. But, I live in the Midwest, and other than Chicago, I can’t seem to find a hub for bloggers.
Come on fellow bloggers step up. Where are you?
A dam in Czech Republic to me resembles a surge of ideas.
I know I can create an event with a long stretch of imagination. I am inclining towards a virtual blogging event, maybe a weekly or biweekly discussion on a theme that will attract attention and not disputes and complaints.
I have some friends around here who are on Goodreads. That’s it. Of course I haven’t searched high and low either.
I tried the Coffee Cake Internet Discussions page on my EW Emma’s Writings and I did not get a lot of response. But, I wasn’t advertising or marketing it either, and as a new blogger I didn’t have that much time.
All of the above seem like excuses for not creating an event. This is my goal. After the virtual event weekly or biweekly depending on interest, I would like to create a “reality blogging” event in a manageable dimension. That is with or without an avocado dip, on the couch or at Ella’s Coffee & Cuisine with or without the Kardashians.
Any ideas on either the format of the event or the subject?
Editorial/marketing calendar quarterly for Emma Blogs LLC
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
In response to Blogging 201 assignment Day 4, add a new feature and /or editorial calendar. I’ve already put this calendar together in January for the first quarter of 2015. I use these as guiding themes which allows me to stay flexible in changing conditions, but focused on the target.
In my quest to find guest writers, writers and sales representatives for Emma Blogs LLC, a portfolio of 11 blogs with the main flagship site EW Emma’s Writings, I find the calendar indispensable.
Editorial calendar and daily writing tasks in the notebook format
It is a valuable resource when looking back and analyzing what did the Emma Blogs LLC accomplish as well as strategizing into the next quarter.
Print magazines usually have an annual editorial/advertising calendar with two months lead time. That means if you have a story fit for April publication, you must submit it by the beginning of February, the latest.
With Internet, I find that everything moves faster with unexpected events such as Blogging 201. I am glad I registered for it, but since I haven’t planned for it, it threw me completely off the track. So, from now on I must include blogging/writing events in the calendar. But still, the two months outlook is very helpful.
I use both Simplenote by WordPress and the good old-fashioned wire bound notebook for every writing/blogging day. I write down contacts that I have to make, posts & stories that I have to write, schedule stories with other writers and inevitably design & update tasks.
Tempus fugit. Time flies or timing is everything.
I always aim to publish twice a week: Tuesday or Wednesday, and then for the weekend on Fridays.
It sounds like a lot of work and routine, but it really is not that bad, if you have figured out for yourself how to work it. Are you a morning or a night writer? How many hours can you put in? What kind of results have you had so far? No matter what, the key to growing traffic and engagement with our blogs, remains regular and enticing content.
This is the note to my EW team that I sent out in the beginning of January.
Hello, I put together these themes to guide us through March. It is a very busy month, so we need to plan for it now. The Inspiring Women series is leading up to women’s events including International Women’s Day on March 8.
2015 Editorial/Marketing themes
January
Health and wellness
IW Inspiring women series
Women’s Expos previews
Winter recreation and snowbirds
February
Blogging 201
Women’s Expo Lansing Feb. 6-Feb. 8, 2015
IW Inspiring women continues
Valentine’s & love
Lenten soups Feb. 18
Winter recreation & snowbirds continues
March
IW Inspiring women series continues
International Women’s Day March 8
Saint Patrick’s Day March 17
Women’s Expo March 13-March 15 in Grand Rapids
Laughfest March 5- March 15
Home and garden expo March 5 through March 8
Lowell expo March 28
Winter/spring recreation and snowbirds continues
About the clock photo: photo of the Prague horloge by “I love Czech Republic” group on facebook.
authoremmapalova 