In ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a place where the local traditions of Latin, Sabinov and Samnitus were gradually enriched by new influences of Greeks, Etruscans, Egyptians or nations from the Middle East. On the most important holidays, they respected the tradition of individual cultures (perhaps to be sure not to anger foreign gods) and created holidays common to a wider circle of inhabitants. The arrival of spring and fertility celebrations were part of life before the city was founded. The Romans officially welcomed the new growing season, always on the feast of the founding of the Temple of the Goddess Concordia, on the day of February non (February 5). From that day on, it was allowed to officially carry out agricultural work in Rome - sowing and planting. In order to strengthen the process of fertility and fertility and at the same time expel evil forces, they celebrated the Feast of Luperkalia for ten days (February 15). During this event, robbers (young cult devotees) sacrificed a capo and a dog. They made straps out of their skins (Lat. Februa) and subsequently went out naked or naked among the citizens of Rome and flogged passersby, especially women. The main task of this "shit" ritual was to strengthen fertility and make it easier for pregnant women to give birth. In memory of these events, we are left with the name of the month - February.
On the occasion of another spring holiday - Liberals (March 17), the Romans offered honey, wine and cakes to the god Liber, his partner Libere, the grain goddess Ceres and the god of wine Dionysus, in order to ensure an abundance of fruits from which they made liquid products such as wine, honey, mead or fruit juices. During these holidays, boys aged 14 to 16 officially became men and received their first male toga.
The Roman religion also knew the myths in the stories of rebirth after death (Isis resurrected Hora, Kybele was revived by Attis, Dionysus died and revived after the intervention of Zeus, etc.) and some of the rituals took place in the spring. One of the conditions for initiation into these cults was secrecy, so priests and members of religious communities did not leave us direct information about the exact dates, course or details of the ceremonies.
For the Germans or Slavs
We have very few written records of the religious customs of nations such as the Germans, Slavs or Celts since ancient times, and these come from the archives of the Romans or the Greeks. More information on the names of deities, traditions and rituals can be found in medieval texts or ethnographers. As a result, we know that many of the old names and traditions have survived in various forms throughout Europe to this day. From the mentions of Beda the Venerable (he lived in the 7th century AD) we know that the Germans worshiped the goddess Ostar (alternative Ēostre), whose symbol was a hare and a young bird. She was the protector of all children and cubs. If her name reminds you of the English word Easter, it's no coincidence. She was the goddess of spring and fertility. According to her, the Germans named the whole month, which corresponds to today's April. Together with it, the symbol of the celebrations of spring and spring equinox became the mentioned bunny or egg, which we know from a territory inhabited by Slavs with a similar symbolic meaning. We have little information about the coloring of eggs before the spread of Christianity in Europe. We know that Ostarin's rabbit distributed their colored throughout the country as a gift for children. Eggs laid by birds during this period became an integral part of the symbolism associated with the arrival of spring.
The celebrations of the vernal equinox also included purification rituals to cleanse people, animals and homes of evil forces, disease, and misery. It was possible to turn to the elements and help yourself with fire (smoke), water or touch (willows, birches, other plants ...). The most famous ceremony using fire during the spring celebrations is the burning of Moraine, the personification of death, winter and disease. It could have been preceded by the smoking of dwellings with various herbs and the burning of old, damaged or otherwise intended objects. Water purification consisted in washing an object, an animal, a body part or the whole person with water. In a younger period, this ritual is replaced by sprinkling water on the person. It is a ritual as old as humanity itself, so we assume that Germans or Slavs could also use it to welcome spring. It became especially important with the advent of Christianity.
Apparently the means used for cleaning and at the same time transmitting force by "touch" were young rods, most often from willows. The choice of tree and its use was extremely important for the Germans or Slavs - each type of tree could be intended for a different use. The symbolic beating with willow rods was supposed to ward off evil spirits and guarantee fertility, health and happiness. The strength, tenacity and energy of the willow should be transferred to the person who was beaten. Belief in the power of this tree was extremely important to our ancestors. Slovak girls combed willows on Good Friday to have nice hair. Willow rods torn off on May Sunday protected houses from lightning and fires, and it was believed that they could put out the fire in the fireplace. And the lambs consecrated on this day were given to grain to protect the crop from natural disasters, hares, or cattle from witches (and diseases).
Surely you have learned the origins of whipping and embracing, which have spanned more than a millennium and have remained a part of the Easter tradition alongside the Christian tradition. It is interesting that "watering can" is widespread today, especially in the east of Slovakia and "šibačka" in the west of the territory. If we believe in old spells, then the healthiest and happiest girls and women must live in central Slovakia, because here both traditions meet and use at the same time.
Christian tradition
Despite the fact that you may have learned the origin of some traditions in the description, the current celebrations of the vernal equinox have shaped Christianity the most in our country. The story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead during the Jewish holiday of Passover, gave some old rites a new dimension and brought new, no less important. Thanks to Christianity, this celebration has a uniform date. This happened during the Council of Nice (in 325 AD) during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. At that time, the date of the beginning of Easter was set for the first Friday after the first spring full moon. During these calculations, the beginning of the vernal equinox was always set at 21 March. Did you know that the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars causes the Orthodox Church to celebrate this holiday 13 days later as well?
The Christian symbol closely associated with Easter is the Passover lamb, which was widespread in an older tradition as a symbol of the "flock of God." Christians depict it with a victorious flag, a symbol of the resurrection. Along with it often appears a symbolic cross, today the most important symbol of Christianity. In a simple construction, the human and divine worlds are connected in a single point. Its shape also connects us with the moment of the crucifixion of Christ (although history also knows several other crosses).
We can find it, for example, on the festive Easter table, because the Christian tradition was also reflected in gastronomy. Praclíky was originally a dish prepared for Easter in monasteries and was supposed to resemble a praying man with crossed arms. An inseparable part of White Saturday is a flatbread with a carved or otherwise decorated cross.
Christianity often uses symbols of fire and water in its ceremonies, which have become an integral part of its rituals. During the night during the liturgy on White Saturday, the holy Easter fire is lit and the Easter candles are lit from it, which are taken to the church. The fire here symbolizes life, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter candles are lit only from Easter to Pentecost (50 days) and then only during baptisms and funerals to commemorate the resurrection and the passage through the gate of death.
If Christianity wanted to be accepted by all the inhabitants during the Middle Ages, it probably had to accept some of the older traditions and customs, or include them in its rituals. Mentions of the hare can be found in the Old Testament, where it was originally described as an unclean animal, until later in Byzantium it was a sign of Christ, poverty and humility.
Eggs and their coloring had their symbolic significance in the Middle Ages and the modern age in Christianity as well. People avoided blue, which meant sorrow, preferring yellow, green, and most often red, reminiscent of the blood of Jesus Christ. Boiled red eggs are still part of rituals and liturgy, especially in the Orthodox Church, where their bursting / breaking symbolizes purification from sin and new life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The wiggling of willow rods, which is supposed to bring health and fertility (and repel evil spirits), also serves to remind Christians of the scourging of Jesus Christ before the crucifixion. Willow and its twigs have played another important role in our latitudes. In the spring, mudflats (puppets, baburky, lambs) were replaced by palm branches, which are supposed to symbolize the life and victory of Christ over death and sin. Sanctified on May Sunday, they protect the economy.
Easter is not just a period of "extended weekend," as someone may call it today. They are preceded by a 40-day fast, during which meat and sometimes eggs were not allowed to be eaten. Easter today combines the rituals of our ancient ancestors associated with the story of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Will you be buying eggs this year, or will you try to make your own, original and with a little of your story with the children?
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