By Daniela Ivančáková Šibi Riby, whipping and ice-cold water. If you are not Slavic nor Christian, ‘Easter Monday’ probably doesn’t mean much, in fact, you might not even know a holiday like that exists. That is not the case for the women of Slovakia, a tiny country in the heart of Europe, who are haunted by the terrors of this day in their nightmares months in advance. (source: SME) Šibačka is the most well-known and strictly followed Slovak tradition, already mentioned in the 14th-century writings. Originally, it was (quite a kinky) way of expressing affection between lovers, but it quickly grew into today’s version with some made-up justifying meanings, such as the physical form of wishes for luck or health. Right after Easter Monday’s early morning mass, men start going across villages and towns to visit women they know, splash them with ice-cold water and whip them. Women are expected to stay home during the entire day, waiting for šibači (an expression for men that come to whip) making them food, and decorating kraslice - painted blown eggs that are given to men as thanks for the wishes, usually alongside the colorful ribbon that women wrap around the tip of šibač’s whip. The closing element of Šibačka is a perfume that men spray all over women’s hair symbolizing the wish for beauty as they leave, continuing their way to another house. (source: Wikipedia) I don’t think there is a need to explain why this has become a controversial topic regarding both gender inequality and blind devotion to national traditions, however, I would still like to describe different layers of why Šibačka sucks. The idea of rewarding those who make you feel uncomfortable becomes even more problematic when it is being justified to girls from an early age as something beyond them – a cultural heritage, a well-known tradition, something that makes us Slovaks. Now, don’t get me wrong, it definitely is fun when you are six and chased by your cousin with a water gun, giggling and running around the house. It is less fun when you are thirteen and some creepy old dude, a family friend who you’ve seen maybe twice in your life is bending you over his knee and whipping your butt. The intention matters and so does the relationship with specific šibač, the issue here is that they travel in herds, like wolves, so if your older brother goes around with his friends-bullies you are not avoiding them. (source: topky.sk) That is another problem - for a tradition with a fetishy subtone, it definitely lacks a safe word. You can’t run, you can’t hide, you can’t refuse. Eventually, they will catch you, for ‘the sake of your own health’, of course. I remember we tended to strategize over escape plans with my sister the night before, but it never worked. Even more weirdly, neither did the ignorance. When I was eleven, in my rebel moment I decided to break out of the game by not trying to run or hide as girls and women usually do. At first, everyone laughed at my disinterest as I was carried by three guys to the bathtub, but after a few buckets of water and a quick ice-cold shower their smiles disappeared because apparently, it is boring when girls don’t run and scream. My grandma came to talk to me while I was changing into dry clothes to remind me that I have to be dramatic because that’s what makes it fun for šibači. (source: Bystricoviny) And then comes the alcohol, our national addiction. Šibači usually visit 5 to 10 houses during Easter Monday and it is considered rude not to drink at least two shots of vodka or other beverage with similar alcohol concentration at each house (‘one for each leg’ as they say) so you do the math. Around noon they are already drunk and Šibačka gets progressively wilder and more aggressive. Changing clothes twice an hour, being sick for the next week (because the temperature in Slovakia is usually around 0 degrees during the Easter time) and trying to get rid of that horrible smell of mixed perfumes in your hair for the months is inevitable if you are a Slovak woman. Weird how little women’s mental or physical health matters in a tradition whose main purpose is a wish for health. As you can imagine, it is not great to be a woman on Easter Monday. Luckily Slovakian folklore also believed in women’s power manifested through witchcraft and so when the leap ‘witch’ years come, on Easter Tuesday, the roles get switched and women become šibači. Equality once in four years - speaks for itself. Thank god though, the next leap year is just around the corner… (source: Slovak travel)
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May 2024
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