Čarodějnice

© Stockczech/Sheila Atter

In the Czech Republic April 30th marks the end of Winter. Since tradition has it that it was the witches that kept the cold weather lingering around for so long, bonfires are built in every village, and on top of the fire is placed an effigy of a witch. The theory is that as the witch is burned, so the last of the bad weather disappears. Naturally it is an excuse to have a convivial evening and drink lots of beer, then as the flames die down there is often a contest to see who can jump barefoot over the embers of the fire and prove their bravery. Not surprisingly, quite a few people end up with nasty burns, but that doesn’t stop the enthusiasm for the celebrations.

~ by stockczech on April 30, 2008.