Traditional customs observed on Easter Monday

Traditional folk customs were observed by many on Easter Monday - a public holiday in the Czech Republic, when a braided willow whip decorated with ribbons known as the pomlázka is used to symbolically whip women and girls in return for painted eggs. Girls can also be doused with water but it is not commonly practiced. The custom has pre-Christian roots in pagan fertility rites. According to the rite, females 'whipped' on Easter Monday remain healthy and fertile for the entire year.

Author: Jan Velinger