If you get the chance to celebrate with a local family, especially in the villages, it is an experience to remember. Celebrated all over the world by Christians, here in the Czech Republic it is also a cultural celebration. On Easter Sunday after church families gather around for a feast which includes a cake in the shape of a lamb (a symbol of renewed life) in honor of the resurrection of Christ.
On Easter Monday (April 6) the pagan fertility tradition of “pomlázka” is celebrated where men go to local woman’s homes and “beat” them with the pomlázka which is a plaited whip made out of birch and decorated with colorful ribbons (not to worry as it is a fun and playful centuries-old tradition). In turn the women give the men beautifully hand painted hard-boiled eggs. Many children also partake in this tradition and have to recite a poem to get a colored egg.
Easter markets (Velikonoční trhy) celebrate the arrival of spring in the Czech Republic, and the Prague markets are the most impressive in the country. They brighten up the city, bringing locals and tourists together in an uplifting, historic setting.
