In the celebration of Easter in Slovakia these days, the most important elements are not religious and spiritual, but social contact and family gatherings. The ethnologist Katarína Popelková from the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences presents these findings in her latest study.
In her work, the ethnologist relies on the results of an online survey she conducted in April 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by strict measures and restrictions on the movement of the population. In 2020, the pandemic fundamentally changed the nature of the Easter holidays, and the inhabitants of Slovakia had to adapt to the confined space of their homes. Health risks and social isolation made it impossible for them to observe, for example, the customs of visiting distant relatives, spending festive moments together and entertaining guests. Pandemic conditions among individuals reinforced the use of Easter leave for activities unrelated to the holiday tradition, such as staying and playing sports in nature, home modifications and remodeling, and gardening.
“New individual ways of celebration were created in families, the traditional Monday visits associated with the whipping or watering of women and girls were replaced with watching television, reading or playing board games. Some people also used this time to work or study," Popelková said. She also pointed out that less food and chocolate sweets were bought.
The ethnologist also pointed to the variety of ways in which people bonded during Easter in 2020. Modern technology played an important role in this period. "Digital communication has brought new forms of Easter customs, such as virtual whipping and dressing of grandmothers by their grandchildren, or sending pictures of children's drawings and handicrafts by email instead of Easter postcards. Although technology enabled video conversations at a distance and mediated the reactions of loved ones, it could not replace face-to-face contact with loved ones, joint preparations and celebrations in groups of relatives or friends. Thus, the experience of the holiday was diminished by the absence of touches and hugs," the researcher pointed out.
Source: TASR
