' Women get a soaking for spring' ( The Times 2/04/13)
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A new Easter ritual to me. The photograph shows young Slovak women being doused in water by their menfolk in Trencianska Tepla 145km North of Bratislava. The article explains that the tradition is to soak women with water and then hit them with a willow to invoke youth, strength and beauty for the new spring season.
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Each to their own, beats just hunting for eggs in the woods I suppose. Wonder if they will be allowed to carry on this tradition if Slovakia ever becomes a member of the European Union. Might throw up some interesting cases around the nature of Human Rights. Not sure how this custom achieves its aims, done by the young, a use of strength certainly, but how does it invoke beauty?
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Each Easter with the advent of spring
People get up to such strange things
Take the example of those Slovaks
Who use the willow to women whack
Tis to invoke youth, strength and beauty
Yet it seems a little odd to me.
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If this had been printed the day before I would have assumed it was an April Fool prank. It is like a Wet T-shirt competition for S&M enthusiasts. Takes all sorts, can't see it going viral though. Mind you I have seen stories of Scandinavians frolicking naked in the snow and beating each other with Birch twigs before immersing themselves in freezing water then running to a hot Sauna. Certainly get the circulation flowing!
Written by Vernicho ( 2 April 2013 ) Copyright ( All Rights Reserved )
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PoetryThis series will pick a newspaper headline from each day. It will include my response, either a thought, a question a statement or a poetic piece inspired by the headline.
