Looking to Celebrate Easter in Prague? Understand Czech Easter Tradition Now

Beyond the beauty of spring, Eastertime visitors to Prague get to celebrate the rich history and traditions of the Czech Republic linked to these festivities.

Easter in Prague is a week’s affair that kicks off on Wednesday. It is known as Ugly (Spy) Wednesday or Škaredá středa, named after the day Judas betrayed Jesus. Schools break for Easter this day for children to make Easter beautiful through cleaning and preparing.

Green (Maundy) Thursday also known as Zelený čtvrtek follows, to pay homage to the Last Supper. It is a day of fasting with vegetable consumption encouraged and meat consumption avoided. Green beer (zelene pivo) in Prague is common practice.

Good Friday or Velký pátek celebrates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This day made a comeback as a Czech Republic national holiday in 2016 after it ceased during the 1950s Communist regime.

Afterward, White Saturday or Bílá sobota, commemorated as the “Day of Light”, is a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Czech boys shake wooden rattles around their villages for the last time until they are given money.

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Easter Sunday better known as Velikonoční needle in Prague is marked with religious observations. People attend mass and make preparations for Easter Monday.

Easter Monday locally called Veselé Velikonoce culminates the Easter holiday with no significant religious celebration except boys and men visiting houses and sprinkling water on women and girls.

Little Known Traditional Czech Easter Facts

Easter or Velikonoce in Czech translates to “great night”. The holiday was suppressed during Communist rule and instead, the arrival of spring was celebrated. The holiday gained Christian roots in the late 1980s.

Prague’s Easter Monday is the climax of events. During Easter Sunday or Velikonoční neděle, men and women make preparations for the next day’s activities. Ladies decorate the eggs and gentlemen prepare the pomlázky.

The pomlázky is a braided whip made from pussy-willow twigs and decorated on one end with colorful ribbons. These whips are used by boys or men to chase and gently whip girls and women on Easter Monday morning.

The playful tradition involves chanting a rhyme requesting eggs from the girls. The gentle whip is symbolically linked to good health and fertility for those whipped. You can buy a pomlázky from the Easter markets in Prague.

Girls decorate eggs to hang them in windows, put in baskets, or give to the boys who whip them on Easter Monday. Eggs can be bought across the Czech Republic shops and markets.

Red is a celebrated Easter color in Prague, representing the life that comes with spring. Some locals dress in red throughout Easter to express happiness, health, and new life.

Lamb is Prague’s Easter staple prepared in different versions. Eggs, mazanec (type of bread), gingerbread, and slivovice- homemade plum brandy are more Easter specials in Prague.

Boys go across their villages for three days shaking wooden rattles known as řehtačka. This tradition aims to scare off Judas, the betrayer of Jesus. On the third day usually called White Saturday, they stop at homes and make noise until they are gifted with money as a way to silence them.