Veselé Velikonoce - Happy Easter (2008)

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Image of Pomlázky Veselé Velikonoce roku 2008. You can read a bit more about Czech Easter in this post from last year or in one of the two comprehensive articles below.

The Czech Republic’s Easter traditions are colourful both in appearance and name. The journeys of Captain Oddsocks: Czech Easter traditions

Easter Monday practices, involving boys pouring water over girls and lightly whipping them with braided branches, are the most controversial of Easter traditions. Global Voices Online » Czech Republic, Slovakia: Whipping Girls and Other Easter Traditions

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Would like to know the root of the word "velikonoce".. Our parish priest asked for a direct translation and am having a bad time finding anything but "easter".. is it truly "Happy Easter..."  or "Happy Midnight" or something else?... Thank you, Mr. Lukes

Velikonoce probably comes from velika noc or Veliké noci (the former being Great Night, the latter Great Nights) symbolizing the greatest night of the year, the night of the Resurrection of the Lord. I wouldn't go with Happy Midnight because happy is Vesele/st'astne and midnight is půlnoc.

 

VESELE VELIKONOCE! Kristus vztal z mrtvých!

Veliko = Great

Noc = Night

My understanding of the phrase is that without the resurrection, christianity would not exist, so the night of the resurrection is considered a great night, and the resurrection a great feat.

Could be wrong though. These kind of names have been handed down through the centuries and it's difficult to pinpoint their origins the way we can today, such as the first use of the term 'Iron Curtain' for example.

Hope this helps...

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