Easter Traditions

Green Thursday (Maundy Thursday)

In Slovakia, Green Thursday (Maundy Thursday) was the traditional day when people were supposed to cleanse themselves. Of course, they would wash themselves with water, but it was thought that running water was best, as this was water that was alive.

It was thought that if girls longed for beautiful skin, without freckles or spots, and if they wanted that their hair grew quicker and stayed beautiful throughout the year, that they should bathe in a running spring before sunrise on Green Thursday. People also believed that if they wanted to avoid getting toothache they should rinse out their mouths with the water on this day.

Another tradition was that people would go and clean up a spring of water, so that the running water was clear and safe to drink. If you cleaned out a spring on this day it was believed that you would stay healthy throughout the year. In the same way, it was thought that if you cleaned out all the milk urns and jugs thoroughly with water, you would enjoy a high milk yield that year.

Easter Traditions (cont...) >>

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