Easter Tours 2002
Wednesday 27th March Men's Seniors - Prague
Friday 29th March Women Seniors - Women Eastbourne
Friday 5th April Under 17's and Under 16's Cork
Tour Info for Prague.
We almost forgot to mention that we appear to have a tour going ahead to Barbados. Despite many hillocks and crevices (and that was just walking round Hursty), we've got a plan that is more exciting than a cream egg. Remember the following information or you'll be in terrible peril.
Departure: We WILL be leaving the clubhouse at 1am on Thursday 28th March, 2002 (i.e. horribly early in the morning). We'll get minibuses or similar for the trundle down to Stanstead. Anybody who is late will find themselves very lonely and hitch hiking.
Flights:Leaving Stanstead at 0715 on Thursday 28th March, 2002
Arriving back at Stanstead early on Monday 1st April, 2002 (there will be no April Fool's Day Prizes awarded to those who miss the flight.)
On a serious note, security is now very tight at all airports as you know. Please note that if anyone goes over the score in the airport or on the plane, there is a strong possibility that the whole tour group might get slung off. We'll be in the pub by 10ish when we get to Prague anyway! Also, make sure you've got no sharp items in hand luggage, or they'll just confiscate them.
BRING YOUR PASSPORT - MAKE SURE IT'S VALID.
We've got hotel accommodation in Prague for four nights.
Payment: If you haven't paid us the grand total of £280, then please give us it immediately. We need this money very urgently to pay the tour company, pay for travel and kit. Please also make sure that you've given Colin £5 towards the kit.
Tour cash: I don't know if you can get Czech Koruna from the banks here, but sterling or dollars cash or travellers cheques will work over there. I guess there'll be loads of VISA cash points or whatever as well. £1 is approximately 50 Koruna (also equivalent to 12.47 El Salvador Colon, which is factual if somewhat irrelevant).
Garb: Tour 'number 1s' consist of the following, which ALL tourists must possess. Checked jacket, checked trousers, checked shirt, club tie and any other checked accessories. Fines and punishments can be expected by non-conformists.
We're still working to get a fixture over there, so unless you hear otherwise, bring your playing kit for the first outing of the Earlsdon International Barbarian Select Novice Handicap Czech Wanderers Second XV.
If you've got any questions, please get in touch with people who know the answers.
Cheers,
This is the real reason we picked Prague......
For the week of April 13-19, 1998
"Switching" Traditions, A Czech Easter
By Laura Currie
The celebration of Easter in the Czech Republic is steeped in tradition and colour. Unlike the commercialisation of many cultural holidays in North America, or even the religious atmosphere in other countries as they celebrate the holiest of Christian holidays, the Czechs make cultural tradition the focus of the Easter season.
Perhaps the most talked-about tradition of this season, and one that would seem quite politically incorrect in many of today's Western societies, is the tradition of the pomlazkas.
On Easter Monday, until noon only, men brandish the pomlazkas -- "switches" or gentle whips - and chase the women, lashing out at them with the whips.
The switches are made from a wooden stick or branch, usually young, green bark, with coloured ribbons on the end, so it is not dangerous or painful. The tradition dates back to pre-Christian times, and as legend has it, is said to keep the women young, healthy and obedient.
After being "whipped" by the men, women traditionally give the men eggs and sweets. The eggs are symbols of fertility and new life and also are meant to celebrate the end of winter. All in good fun.
Since the Easter weekend falls at that time of year when flowers are blooming and the smells of Spring are upon us, Czechs take advantage of this and celebrate not just the Easter weekend but the weeks leading up to it as well.
Preparations begin about three weeks before Easter weekend. In Prague's Old Town Square trees are decorated with brightly coloured ribbons in red, yellow, blue, pink and green. Hanging from tree branches are coloured Easter eggs.
Around the base of the trees are Easter equivalents of nativity scenes, with the Easter Bunny sitting cosily in straw, surrounded with decorated eggs of all sizes and more coloured ribbons.
All these festive decorations are complemented by musicians and traditional music floating through the main thoroughfares. The well-practiced veterans of
jazz and Dixieland music play engagingly in parts of the Old Town and on Charles Bridge. A grandstand is erected in Old Town Square where dancers of all ages perform customary dances in traditional costumes.
One of my favourite aspects of Easter in the Czech Republic are the hand-decorated painted Easter eggs. The array of designs, colour schemes, and methods used to decorate these hollowed eggs is impressive. Eggs are decorated with water colours, wax, food dye and combinations of all four. Most eggs are both hand-blown and hand-painted. A ribbon is attached at one end so it can be hung from a tree or in a doorway.
Although a universal tradition, an inventive way that the Czechs have of decorating eggs is to boil an egg with the dry brown outer skins of an onion. This turns the egg quite a dark brown. The process also leaves the egg with a film on it which can be scratched away leaving white or brown designs on the egg, depending on its original colour. People create wax designs on the eggs and
then boil them with the onion skins for a different effect.
The week leading up to Easter holds many other cultural traditions. Ugly Wednesday is the last Wednesday before Easter. On this day everyone is supposed to smile at each other. If they don't, the entire year is meant to be a
sad one.
Then comes Green Thursday, when everyone has great food to eat. The church bells ring for the last time before Easter so that their peels can "fly to Rome." At mass on this day, the Bishop washes the feet of 12 men symbolizing The Last Supper of Christ.
Good Friday is a day of great sorrow, the day that Christ died. In folk tradition this day is closely connected with the belief in the magic powers of the earth and in miracles. In times past, it was believed the earth opened and showed its treasures, but only for a short time. Many people could be found looking for these treasures in the woods.
White Saturday is the day of consecration and of fire and light. A fire and Easter candle is lit and the ashes are placed on farmers' fields to give them a good crop. On this day the bells come back from Rome.
The next day is Easter.
