Apr 10, 2023

Easter Whipping Should be Based on Consent, Says Czech Politician

Prague Morning

According to Olga Richterová (Pirates), deputy head of the Chamber of Deputies, Czech Easter traditions generate issues for both men and women.

Easter Monday in Czechia include caroling and the controversial tradition of boys “whipping” girls with willow whips in return for a painted egg.

Richterová told Nova TV the “whipping” should be conditioned by consent on the part of the women, because not all of them feel comfortable with it.

“Traditions are a beautiful thing and belong to our culture. But it is important that their celebration is voluntary and does not cause anyone distress. Unfortunately, it often happens that women are beaten against their will with the pomlazka. Or they are whipped so roughly that they are left with painful bruises. Sometimes carolers also behave inappropriately because they are fortified by alcohol and do not know the measure,” Richterová said.

Easter can also cause problems for men, she believes. “A lot of them don’t like trick-or-treating because it makes them feel uncomfortable. They just do it because of the social pressure,” she continued.

NE znamená NE i při pomlázce! 🙏
Tradice jsou krásná věc a k naší kultuře patří. Je ale důležité, aby jejich oslava byla dobrovolná a nikomu nezpůsobovala trápení.
Při pomlázce se bohužel často stává, že ženy dostanou výprask proti své vůli. Nebo jsou šlehány tak hrubě, že jim… pic.twitter.com/azI000APlx

— Olga Richterová – místopředsedkyně Sněmovny (@olgarichterova) April 8, 2023

The tradition explained

During the Easter holidays, men and boys cut willow branches and braid them into whips. Such a whip is called pomlázka.

It’s made of fresh, bendy branches and decorated with colorful ribbons. With such a whip you can actually enjoy quite a lot of fun.

But only if you are a man. On Easter Monday men can legally whip all women in the neighborhood. It may sound weird, but it’s an old, most common Czech Easter tradition.

The word “pomlázka” (whip) is derived from a Czech word “pomladit” which means “to make younger.” The tradition says that the fresh willow rods are full of spring energy that goes… straight into the body!

The Easter bizarreness doesn’t end yet. Now it’s time for a little reward. Yes, women are expected to give men something for their whipping.

Czech women say “thank you” and offer all guys shots of liquor (usually slivovice = homemade plum brandy), painted eggs or various sweet treats.

This Easter tradition is very common in Czech villages where local guys visit one house after another and whip women of all ages. However, in the cities people are more conservative and do the Easter whipping only at home.