Pomlázka 2017

Let the Whipping Commence

Today I had the distinct pleasure of accompanying Aleš Pomikálk and his two sons, Ondřej and Samuel (Sam), in the Czech Pomlázka, a traditional after-Easter activity.  The root of the term means "make younger" and refers to both the tradition and the switch used in the symbolic whipping by boys on Easter Monday.   The origin of pomlázka dates back to pagan times. Its original purpose and symbolic meaning is to chase away illness and bad spirits and to bring health and youth for the rest of the year to everyone who is whipped with the young pussywillow twigs. 

Size Matters!

Aleš cut the raw material and fashioned the whips on Easter Sunday; and, as you will see from the video and photos, he overachieved a bit on the boys' version.  Daniela, Aleš' daughter, made my pomlázka to more traditional specifications.  

Adding the Ribbon 

Check out the video by clicking here at Pomlázka to see how the tradition works. The boys 'whipped' the willing females (and I am told that in other areas the girls may be doused with water which has a similar symbolic meaning).  Ondřej then recited an "Easter carol" asking for an egg or two and was rewarded with said egg, exquisitely decorated, and other assorted treats.  The entire process reminds me of our "Trick or Treat" tradition.  In addition to the eggs and sweets, there are some dynamite open faced sandwiches and, for the "mature' boys", some distilled liquid refreshment - it was tough to take!  The final reward was getting a colorful ribbon tied to the pomlázka to show the deep appreciation for our laborious task!  

The entire tradition is always finished by noon and since we made some 17 visits we were moving along quite smartly.  We successfully made it back home with overfull baskets of goods to be greeted by B.J. and Veronika. 

A Second Chance

After lunch and the sorting of the well-earned goods by the three Pomikálkovi kids - Daniela was, of course, offered a third of the take with a few items deemed indivisible passed to us adults.  In any event the morning was a wonderful dive into Czech culture and netted a few million calories for next week.

P.S. My whip, I am told, can be regenerated by a water bath and then replanting.  Nothing like a new lease on life.