EASTERIn the Czech republic

Easter is a movable feast, it is after the first full moon after vernal eguinox.

This year Easter is on 25th April.

Origin of Easter

Roots of Easter go further before the beginning of our era. They are based on Jewish Festival called Passover-saving it, save, crossing. Christians consider Easter as ressurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter traditions

Easter Fir

Going with Easter Fir is one of the Czech Easter traditions. Girls go carolling around the village one weekend before Easter. What does Fir look like?It‘s trimmed crown of tree and it is decorated with coloured ribbons and coloured flowers, and on the top of the Fir can be a head of a doll. Girls get sweets and boiled and decorated eggs when they say a rhyme.

ClatteringBoys go clatter at 5 am, because it is said that the bells

have flown to Rome.They go round the village on Maundy Thursday, Good

Friday and Holy Saturday.On Saturday boys go from house to house and collect

money for the clattering. At the end of Easter holidays boys divide their money.

EggsGirls dye and decorate boiled

eggs which are given to boys on Easter Monday.

Easter egg is a symbol of new life.Decorated eggs are typical in the

Czech Republic.Blown eggs are used as a

decoration.

Easter Monday

• On Easter Monday boys go with plaited willow canes and whip girls to be healthy. Boys go carolling: „Hody, hody, doprovody,dejte vejce malovaný.Nedáte-li, malovaný,dejte aspoň bílý,slepička vám snese jiný.“

This is an example in the Czech language.(Boys ask for the eggs.)