Slovak Easter Tradition, or how to avoid a cultural shock.

   As many other countries we also celebrate Easter Holidays and according to Christian tradition, it is the most important religious feast. Big Friday is the day, when Jesus Christ has been crucified, and White Sunday is the day of the resurrection.

  

 On Easter Monday, while Norway is watching and solving detective stories, in Finland and Sweden, small children dressed as witches collecting candy door-to-door, in Netherlands and Cyprus are people watching the huge bonfire and Americans are hunting for chocolate eggs hidden by some tricky bunny, in Eastern central Europe, in Slovakia, we enjoy some „spanking“ and „watering“. However it sounds weird, it’s our very important non-religious tradition.

     Easter Monday ( Veľkonočný pondelok ) is the day of the primaeval tradition of feast, „Šibačka“ (Shee:bu:tchka) and „Oblievačka“(O:blea:vutch:cku).

   „Korbáč“ (Cour:butch) is a special handmade whip made from willow usually from half a meter to two meters long and decorated with colored ribbons at the end. According to this tradition, in the morning, all men, spank women with this whip. The spanking is not intended to be painful or cause suffering, it´s a symbol of men´s interest in women, therefore girls, who has not been visited and „beaten“ on that day could feel a bit disappointed and insulted, strange , isn’t it? During spanking, men usually have to recite „koledy“ – what is a stylized rhyme : „ Šibi ribi, mastné ryby...“ (shee:bee -  ree:bee, must:na ree:bee) – Do not ask me , what does is it actually mean ( something related to whipping an oily fishes, what is probably not the correct translation).

There is no escape! :) 

    This „spanking“ is popular mostly in Central and West Slovakia, however, in Eastern part, tradition of „Oblievačka“ is the most common way how to make women suffer more on this lovely day. No, no there is not such a thing as a suffering, it’s a pleasure, compliment from men. Oblievačka does literally mean watering...Now, you probably know where am pointing to ...Yes, men in the morning visit all women, take big jars of water and spill the water over them. Colder water, the better.  Occasionally – mostly in country-side, on favorable conditions, girls end up in small streams, brooks, laughing and swearing to the gods – usually if the men are too lazy to carry a jar with water. Oblievačka is the symbol of purification and according to tradition, it will make women healthy and beautiful for the rest of the year. So girls, get rid of those over-priced „no-good“ cosmetic inventions and come to Slovakia. Nowadays, the tradition of East, Central and West Slovakia has been unified, so you can enjoy „spanking“ along with watering.

Why to waste some energy by carrying pails of water when there is some nice and cold stream nearby? 

However, this sounds strange, it is not all. Since girls do really enjoy this old tradition,  after the whole ritual, they have to reward the men! This is the power of equality! Most traditional reward are „kraslice“ ( cru-slee:ca) – beautifully decorated eggs. Nowadays, also chocolate rabbits, eggs or some other sweets are common and all of the guys called also „Šibači“ (Shee:bu:tche) are invited to join them with the rest of the family along feast table. 

Beautifuly decorated handmade eggs called "Kraslice"

Therefore, don’t be surprised, if you will see on Monday, around 1 – 2 pm, groups of noisy „tipsy“ and clumsy men carrying long rods with ribbons and jars of water, that are hardly able to crawl back to their homes.