The Revenge of Mother Nature on Easter

Easter in Slovakia is supposed to be the celebration of spring and birth. Well, the pounding snow last Friday morning surprised everyone.

However, the climate was still that of April and consequently the snow in the lowlands started to melt and caused flooding. Some villages had to be evacuated. During the second part of Easter festival guys go house-to-house and pour cold water on women and girls so that they stay healthy and pretty. I think the flooding is the revenge of Mother Nature for the years of watering.

Flooding in Slovakia- the arrow shows the place where I used to practice my football skills. Now, I could cross over to water polo.

In keeping to traditions, cities are far behind the remote villages, now covered in snow, giving people incentive for spending their holiday skiing. Really, most people would rather go on holiday than do the Easter routine. I remember leaving the house with my father and brother on Easter Monday morning and visiting all the women with family and friends. Guests were cordially welcomed, offered a drink and children given sweets and money.

Now, even the young generation would prefer a drink and a disco in the evening. Luckily, we still have the villages where the folk customs live on, though nevertheless these years they could not be recognised from Christmas.

Easter Traditions

The first part of Easter is a Christian festival, commemorating the death of Jesus Christ. Even the most nihilistic believers are expected to participate at church. On Thursday, we commemorate the last supper of Jesus. Friday is the most solemn day for Christians. People should preserve lent and abstain of any kind of enjoyment. There is the Passion play at church accounting the last days of Jesus Christ. It is the first version of Jesus Christ Superstar including choir and singers.

On Saturday (though actually it should be early Sunday morning) Jesus was raised from the death. The sermon is long and finishes with an annoying anthem where the melody falls several times so that you think it is finally over, but the people just take a breath and go on to another verse. However, it is nothing in comparison to the suffering of Christ. Therefore I wait patiently and take the time to think about my life for a while. After that, I go out with my friends and on Sunday meet my whole family.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Read more posts form his blog here.

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