Throughout the end of March and into the start of April, Prague's main town squares start filling up with little brown buildings. Their signs advertise that they are selling desserts, warm drinks and a variety of art. Despite being one of the most atheist (not believing in God or gods) countries in the world, the Czech Republic goes all out for Easter.
In the Czech Republic, Easter Monday is a national holiday, meaning that people do not go to work or school. Instead, they participate in traditional activities, some of which may seem surprising to those in the U.S. Traditionally, men and boys get braided willow branches, which consist of a few sticks wrapped together, and go around "whipping" women and girls on their legs. But don't worry--it's actually just light taps! The women are then supposed to give the men a small gift in exchange, such as a ribbon or egg. In some communities, the "whipping" is also accompanied by "Easter dousing," when women are dunked in water.
Another big part of the traditional Czech Easter is the decorating of eggs! It's not even comparable to egg dying in the U.S., where you usually make the egg one or two colors. Instead, Czech eggs are either elaborately painted or marked with wax and then dipped in dye to create fancy, intricate (detailed) designs.
