Easter celebrations in Czech Republic are slowly returning back to the original folk customs, traditions and of course the real religious meaning behind Easter. It’s really nice to see that we are making more of Easter than before and I particularly like all the different traditions around Easter, including egg decorating, baking sweet bread called mazanec or decorating the house with young twigs with green leaves.
During the communist regime before 1989, Easter was prohibited to be celebrated as a religious holiday – at least publically. Things have changed and now and many people celebrate the Christian aspect of Easter while others just enjoy it as a celebration of spring with good food and colourfully decorated eggs.
Easter is one of the movable Christian holidays associated with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to church history, the suffering of Christ occurred after the spring equinox and was preceded by the first full moon of spring. This rule was adopted, and Christian Easter (Easter Sunday) is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
Decorating Easter Eggs
Decorated Easter Eggs, called ‘kraslice’ in Czech, are one of the main symbols of Czech Easter. They are given as a reward for the Easter Monday carolers but also are a symbol of spring, birth and fertility.
Colouring and decorating kraslice is a popular Easter tradition, and various techniques, decorations, colours, ornaments, and motifs are used to decorate them. The colours and decorations vary from region to region.
My favourite ones and the ones we always make each year are hard-boiled eggs coloured with natural colours (such as peeled onion skins, green grass, turmeric spice or black tea) using batik technique with flowers and leaves.
To decorate the Easter dinner table or green twigs with Easter eggs, I use the empty chicken eggs decorated with beeswax. I always make a few new ones each year, but I keep the designs quite simple using the other side of the pin to draw with the warm beeswax and then colouring the eggs. The beeswax is then warmed over a candle and wiped off to reveal a beautiful design.
Traditional Easter sweet breads – jidáše – Judas, mazanec, and beranek – lam
“Jidáše” are baked on Maundy Thursday and should have the shape of a twisted roll. This shape is a reminder of the rope on which Judas Iscariot hanged himself after betraying Jesus Christ.
“Mazanec” is another popular sweet bread baked in many families during the Easter period, but you can also buy it in most artisan bakeries in Prague and a more basic version in local supermarkets.
Traditionally ‘Mazanec’ should be baked on Holy Saturday and eaten the following day, on Easter Sunday. It is made from sweet bread dough made with raisins or almonds. There are many different versions of this recipe, but my favourite mazanec recipe, which I bake every year has both raisins and almonds and the secret ingredient is a double cream!
Easter lamb cake is used to decorate the Easter dinner table. It’s basically a fairly firm vanilla sponge cake baked in the shape of a little lamb, which is then covered with lemon icing and made to stand up on the tray. I usually decorated the cake with raisins for eyes and nose and use a ribbon to tie around the lamb neck. The lamb is a symbol of purity, innocence, and obedience.
Braiding the Pomlázka whip and Easter Monday Caroling
This is a tradition that you can still see in many Czech villages and small towns. On Easter Monday, boys and men go carolling, visiting girls and women, and symbolically bestowing upon them youth, flexibility, and freshness from the willow twigs by symbolically whipping them.
In return, women used to tie decorative ribbons of various colours on the ends of the braided twigs for men, each with different meanings. The women would also give the prepared eggs to men to symbolise spring and fertility.
The tradition of braiding the whip – ‘pomlazka’ dates back to the Middle Ages and the pomlázka should be freshly braided every year from fresh willow twigs – a minimum of 4 to 12 separate twigs. You can buy ‘pomlázka’ whip at most Easter Markets in Prague and other traditional Czech crafts shops in the centre.
Celebrating the Passion Week (Holy Week)
Passion Week (Holy Week) Passion Week, also known as Holy Week, is the week when Christians commemorate the last days of Jesus Christ on Earth, his death, and subsequent resurrection. Its name is derived from the so-called “passions,” the biblical accounts of the suffering of Jesus Christ. “Passio” in Latin means suffering.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and culminates with Easter Sunday, also known as the Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each day has many Christian, folk traditions and rituals, which are still observed in the traditional villages and some of these are now coming back as ‘new traditions’.
Easter Dates 2024
- Ash Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) – 14 February 2024 (this year also a St. Valentine’s Day)
- Palm Sunday (Flower Sunday) – 24 March 2024
- Holy Monday (Blue Monday) – 25 March 2024
- Holy Tuesday (Grey – clouded over or yellow – Tuesday) – 26 March 2024
- Spy Wednesday (Ugly – bad or ash sweeping- Wednesday) – 27 March 2024
- Maundy Thursday (Green Thursday) – 28 March 2024
- Good Friday (Big Friday) – 29 March 2024
- Holy Saturday (White Saturday) – 30 March 2024
- Easter Sunday (Easter Day) – 31 March 2024 – this year also the beginning of summer time (clocks go forward by 1 hr)
- Easter Monday (Red Monday) – 1 April 2024 – this year also April First Fool’s Day
- White Sunday – first Sunday after Easter – 7 April 2024
Traditions & Customs for each Easter week day
Blue Monday
On this day, all churches should be decorated with blue or violet fabric.
Blue Monday is also a day when one shouldn’t work, but instead get ready to start spring cleaning your house.
Yellow – Ash Tuesday
On the Tuesday before Easter, you were supposed to clean your house. The name of the day comes from the grey colour of dust, as you mean to sweep all the cobwebs and the entire house. Whitewashing the walls is also part of the tradition.
Ugly Wednesday
Ugly Wednesday is also known as Ash Wednesday and it’s because on this day, soot and fire ash are swept from the fire, ovens or stoves in your house.
Green Thursday
The name probably originated from the time, when only green food (vegetables) was supposed to be eaten on this day.
There are many customs related to Maundy Thursday and these are my favourites:
On this day, people used to wake up very early, wash themselves with dew, as it was believed to prevent neck ailments and other illnesses, and the family prayed.
Housewives rose early to sweep the house before sunrise. The sweepings were taken to a crossroads to prevent fleas from lingering in the house.
Those who eat bread spread with honey before sunrise are protected from snakebites and bee stings.
In the Orlické Mountains, people threw bread spread with honey into the well to ensure that the water would be good throughout the year.
No work was done in the afternoon. “Jidáše” were baked, which are specially shaped ritual pastries made of leavened dough. If they were eaten with honey, it was believed to promote good health.
During the evening mass, the bells ring for the last time, and then they “fly to Rome” until Holy Saturday – during this time, they are replaced by rattles and clappers.
According to tradition, when the bells ring for the last time, you should jingle money to ensure prosperity throughout the year. In some places, a pestle is used to ring a mortar, so that insects and mice leave the building.
Big – Good Friday
Good Friday commemorates the day of the death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is observed as a day of fasting symbolizing sadness, silence, and contemplation.
According to the Gospels, Jesus died on the cross at three o’clock in the afternoon and most churches have a special service at the same time. In many churches, a devotion to the Stations of the Cross is also held on this day. Part of the devotions includes the unveiling and veneration of the Holy Cross.
There are lots of customs and superstitions associated with Good Friday:
People believe in the magical power of the earth, which was said to open on Good Friday and briefly reveal treasures. The treasures were indicated by a light, blooming or glowing fern, which would lead you inside the rocks or mountains, where the treasure was.
Good Friday is also a day of fasting – people restrict meat consumption and try to eat very little.
People used to wake up before sunrise and go to wash themselves in the stream to protect themselves from illnesses.
Boys would dive into the water and try to pull a stone out with their mouths, then throw it over their heads to protect themselves from toothaches.
In regions with linen production, threads of the Passion were spun, then several stitches were made on clothes, which was believed to protect against enchantment and evil spirits. A shirt made of linen of the Passion threads was believed to protect against lightning.
On this day, nothing was to be borrowed, as the borrowed item could become enchanted. There was a strong belief in witches and enchantment.
No work was done in the fields or orchards to avoid disturbing the earth.
Laundry was not washed because it was believed it would soak in Christ’s blood instead of water.
People went from house to house, announcing noon, morning and evening prayers with the sound of rattles and various rhymes. Housewives prepared gifts in the form of dried fruit, pastries, eggs, and sometimes small amounts of money.
White Saturday
White Saturday is known as an “aliturgical” day, as on this day, the Holy Mass and other sacraments are fundamentally not celebrated, except for the anointing of the sick and the sacrament of reconciliation. The end of White Saturday also marks the end of the long-lasting fast.
Crosses were made from charred twigs and taken to the fields to ensure fertility.
Meadows were sprinkled with ash from the blessed fire. In some places, embers were placed under the house beam to protect it from fire.
Saturday was also a day for cleaning and whitewashing the house wall.
There was also a lot of cooking and baking done on this day, including ceremonial and festive dishes, mazanec and Easter lambs cakes, willow whips ‘pomlazka’ were made and eggs decorated.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday, also known as the Feast of Easter. Christ rose from the dead at dawn on the “first day of the week,” or the “first day after the Sabbath” (which, according to the Jewish calendar, was the last day of the week).
The blessing of Easter foods was performed – lamb, sweet bread, eggs, bread, wine.
In the Chodsko region, the blessed food was eaten in the church while standing.
Each house visitor should receive a piece of the blessed food from the family.
In Eastern Bohemia, the farmer placed a piece of blessed sweet bread, eggs, and wine in the fields, garden, and well for a good harvest, water, and an abundance of fruit.
Easter Monday
On this day, there is the tradition of “pomlázka,” Easter feasting, and “mrskut.” Boys go from house to house with braided whips, usually made of willow branches and decorated with ribbons, seeking out girls. They lightly whip the girls and recite verses. In return, they receive painted eggs.
In some places, it is customary for girls to go with the whip on Tuesday, while elsewhere, boys are doused with water. In many villages, it was customary to ambush the girls in the morning as they went to church.
Another folk custom is also to wear something new on Easter Monday. It’s said that if you don’t have a brand new piece of clothing on you, the Easter bunny or rabbit is going to poop on you!
This blog post was originally written on 03 January 2024 and last updated on 03 January 2024
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