I have a Slovak background and every Easter Monday is the days the "boys get the girls". Every Easter Monday I usually wake up to running out of the house as fast as I can to school, careful not to wake my brother up in fear that he will get me soaking wet. The question is- How did this tradition originate? Well, I've done some reading and haven't exactly found anything saying how this tradition came to be, but I found some other interesting information.
There are some reasons that the boys used to chase the girls down with water and lightly whip their legs with braided branches. The water is symbolic and is said to make the girls "pure" and to cleanse them. "The legend states that the branches used for whipping posses youth and beauty and that it is transferred to the girl"(cited from). Of course, this is just a legend.... Or as I read some people think of it- an excuse to get the girls wet and lightly whip them. Most girls do think that this tradition is fun. When else can girls enjoy several guys chasing after her? ;D
A long time ago the girls used to wear traditional costumes (as seen above) and every time the guys would come and get them wet they would have to change into another costume. Back then, it was considered impolite to wet the girls in the afternoon. So the boys would have to get up early in the morning to soak the girls in bed or find them hiding in their closet or in the stables. After the boys were done wetting the girls soaked the girls would go in town to find their friends and brag about how many boys came to get them wet.
After the boys pin the girls down and get them soaked with water, the girls wait again for other men to get them wet. I also read that in the past (I'm not sure if they still do it now) the girls would bring the boys beer when they were done and sometimes a colored egg.
Now on the Tuesday after Easter the girls get the boys back, it didn't always used to be this way though- although some point in time the tradition changed a little. Even though I don't live in Slovakia I know several Slovak boys who got me soaked this year.... Let's just say some of them will gett it back even worse next year... ;)
There are some reasons that the boys used to chase the girls down with water and lightly whip their legs with braided branches. The water is symbolic and is said to make the girls "pure" and to cleanse them. "The legend states that the branches used for whipping posses youth and beauty and that it is transferred to the girl"(cited from). Of course, this is just a legend.... Or as I read some people think of it- an excuse to get the girls wet and lightly whip them. Most girls do think that this tradition is fun. When else can girls enjoy several guys chasing after her? ;D
A long time ago the girls used to wear traditional costumes (as seen above) and every time the guys would come and get them wet they would have to change into another costume. Back then, it was considered impolite to wet the girls in the afternoon. So the boys would have to get up early in the morning to soak the girls in bed or find them hiding in their closet or in the stables. After the boys were done wetting the girls soaked the girls would go in town to find their friends and brag about how many boys came to get them wet.
After the boys pin the girls down and get them soaked with water, the girls wait again for other men to get them wet. I also read that in the past (I'm not sure if they still do it now) the girls would bring the boys beer when they were done and sometimes a colored egg.
Now on the Tuesday after Easter the girls get the boys back, it didn't always used to be this way though- although some point in time the tradition changed a little. Even though I don't live in Slovakia I know several Slovak boys who got me soaked this year.... Let's just say some of them will gett it back even worse next year... ;)
