Holidays

Easter Monday

Easter Monday, the first Monday after the first full moon in April, is a holiday of joy and rejuvenation. Traditionally Czech boys and men braid willow branches (pomlázky) and adorn them with colorful ribbons. They then go caroling and visiting female friends whom they gently switch with their pomlázky. In return their female friends present them with colored eggs, chocolate, and other treats. The act of switching carries the symbolism of renewal and, in the past, the head of the household switched everyone, including livestock, for good luck.