What does Easter mean to you?

[Conchita]

Oh, no! What have I done? I must have pressed the wrong button and now I've deleted Jamie's post.

HELP!

[Conchita]

They certainly knew how to have fun those Celts! Just imagine: no Internet, movies, CD's...nothing, really. What would we do? Well, at first many of us would be lost without some of these things we just take for granted, but then, who knows? It might be worth a try. More and more people give up their pampered lives and move to rural areas (there are enough more or less abandoned villages or hamlets in Spain, as in so many countries, where you can 'go back to nature', as they say). Still, it must take quite a bit of courage!

[Jamie (K)]

Here it is the explanation again:

In the Czech Republic they have an Easter tradition that's really an old fertility ritual left over from Celtic times. Before Easter, the women and girls braid switches from thin sticks and tie ribbons to the ends of them. On Easter morning, either out in the town square or door to door, the men and boys chase the women and girls, striking them with these switches. ("NOT TOO HARD!" I was admonished by a Czech man as I tested one of the switches on my own leg.) In return for this "beating" the women and girls give Easter eggs to the men and/or douse them with water and cheap perfume. That morning you can see a lot of women with their clothes stuffed with pillows, and men who are all wet and reek of a combination of bad scents. People really enjoy this ritual.

Anglophone feminists are ideologically bothered by this whole thing, and sometimes they report on it in the English-language press, distorting it to the point of lying. Once I saw it explained as a ritual in which any woman walking into a pub will be whipped and then forced to buy drinks for the men who are there. In the years I lived there, that report was the only place I had ever heard of such a thing, and of course that's not the tradition. The writer apparently felt that if she told the truth it wouldn't sound barbaric enough.

[Conchita]

Phew! I'm glad you had a copy. I'll try not to mess up in future posts and look twice before clicking on anything, I promise.

[Conchita]

Jamie, I've just read your post again and noticed from one or two little things that it's not a copy -- you've had to rewrite the whole story, poor you! Sorry again!

[Thumperfive]

[Spencer]

It's a bit surprising, but it doesn't seem like anyone of You celebrating Easter the same way as we do:
On sunday we hide some painted (or chocolate) eggs, and toys in the lawn for the kids.They have to find them in the grass.

On monday morning all the guys are visiting thear neighbours, and friends, with a bottle of parfume, and spraying it on all the girls in the houses,
and painted eggs, (or in the cities some money)
they get for return. (It's a big money-making oppurtunity for the kids)
The girls always offer something to drink (something strong) and it's insulting not to take.
By the end of the day most men are so drunk,but it's acceptable on this day, no wife complaining about it.
In villages they keep on doing it but in cities this tradition is going out of fashion.
Personally I don't like it too much, 'cause I don't like drunk people in packs, but it's a kind of nice tradition, so I don't mind it that much either.

[Daniela]

Hi Jan,
I am surprised to hear that this custom of pouring water on other people exists in other countries too.
In Bulgaria we do have this custom as well, but we usually do it when somebody has a name day. We give him/her a good shower and it's always a lot of fun.
We regard water as a symbol of good luck. For example, if you have to sit for an exam (or something as important as that), a member of the family would pour water in front of you. You are supposed to walk on this water path believing that you will pass your exam successfully. Something like that. Well, you should be very careful not to slip, of course:)
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[Jan]

Jan - any idea where this tradition came from? Is it supposed to be some sort of purification ritual or just silliness?

Hi,
they mix as usually some Christian and Slav rituals,it is spring time beginning of new life - eggs simbolize this, water probably as well.
Resurrection of Chris is pressed between some old ancient costums what makes it easier to bear with.
Thailand has at the beginning of New Year water festival
they strayed from some talc and water signs written on your
face in the past ( good blessing ) to nowdays full drench
of everybody with high pressure pumps on mounted on lorries ( also good blessing ) It is something like February or March every year
regards
Jan
When I was chasing some beauties(with melting hairdoses from water)seeing them in madness after trying to pay me back the same way surely I had a deep feeling of the purification.

[Thumperfive]

it's great to hear about so many different EAster rituals and their history... we just don't get this sort of stuff in the school books and it should be there!