Unlike most of the world that is looking for chocolate eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny, the Czech Republic entirely differs from this tradition.
Every Easter morning, boys walk around in their neighbourhood, usually as a group (altogether with their friends or fathers), but they can also go on their own and visit houses where girls live in the household. In Czech, it is often referred to as “Mrskačka”, but the name can be different in each dialect. Traditionally everyone can wear a costume called “Kroj”.
Boys usually make their own braided whip typically each year (or they use one made by their fathers). The whip is called “Pomlázka”, derived from the word “Pomladit” or make younger). The braided whip is usually made out of maple or willow trees with colourful bows at its end. Then boys use the whip to gently whip girls on the legs so they get younger. Furthermore, boys can pour water on girls for them to stay even young and fresh, like flowers.
Girls and their mothers are decorating hard-boiled eggs (called “Kraslice”) with a variety of colours. Together they bake Easter Bunny Cake and Easter Bun Bread which are symbolic food for Czech Easter. After they are visited by boys, they give them an egg as a reward. The tradition changed a little over the years and now girls also give out chocolate eggs.
Boys also get rewarded by girls’ fathers they visited with a shot of plum brandy (“Slivovice”).
