Nothing better than an authentic story to tell us about how Easter is celebrated in Slovakia:
” Easter traditions in Slovaquia are a kind mix of the Christian religion and of a pagan celebration that celebrates the begining of the spring.
Easter symbols, like decorated eggs, the whip or Easter meals are all here for a single reason: celebrate the new and reviving energy brought by nature.
Tradition says that on Easter Monday men and boys visit their female friends, grand mothers and mothers to splash them with cold water and to gently whip them with a hand-made whip*.
This way, the man brings the spring energy back into his friends’ and family’s life.
We like to say that this traditions keeps women healthy and beautiful until the end of the year.
And as a gift… men are given decorated eggs, food, drinks or a ribbon that the woman ties on the man’s whip.”
And when we’re talking about decorated eggs, we’re talking of eggs that could win the Easter olympics if they existed!
Notes:
*The whip is traditionally made of branches taken from a new plant or bush.
**One of the components of the Easter meal in Slovakia is an egg salad, or egg and potato salad. Everything about Easter celebrates rebirth; whether it’s the resurrection of Jesus Christ or the coming of the spring. Easter Sunday marks the end of 40 days of fasting, during which Christians cannot eat meat or eggs (the egg used to be considered as a kind of meat).
