In Slovakia

Easter is a Christian holiday in Slovakia. It is always on Sunday and Monday. Christians say Jesus died on Good Friday. On the third day he rose from the dead. He became alive again. Christians go to church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, where they sing and pray. They think about new life after death. It is a very happy day.

At Easter people decorate their rooms with painted eggs, chocolate bunnies, spring flowers as tulipes, daffodils.

In Slovakia we have special Easter meals: boiled smoked ham, hard boiled eggs, bacon, sausages, a special salty cake called syrec, beetroot, horse-raddish, sweet pastry (special kind of sweet bread with currants -vianočka, potato salad, different cakes.

In our country we have pouring traditions. Easter Monday used to be celebrated by guys chasing girls around with a whip (a switch) made from willow branches (korbáče) and pouring buckets of cold water on them. They are rewarded with painted or chocolate eggs and money.

But this tradition of šibačky (switching) and polievačky (watering) is all in good sport. The point was not to cause harm, instead, this tradition kept the girls beautiful and springy (like the twigs) for the whole year. And of course, it gave the boys a chance to visit their favorite girls. In most areas of Slovakia boys have a small bottle of perfume in their pocket to spray a few drops of perfume on the hair. In fact, green budding twigs were believed to have magical powers, and thats where the tradition of Easter whipping comes from. By getting switched by the spring branch, the girl would receive not only some of the strength from the guy, but also the health, liveliness, and fertility of the budding branch. It was believed that girls who got whipped would get younger, become prettier, and also more skilled in their daily routines.

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