Advent (adventus in Latin) literally means “arrival”. In the past, it was the time of strict fasting while merrymaking, dancing and singing were prohibited. Advent is the preparatory time for Christmas and since the 11th century has been fi xed as the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day.
Mysterious fi gures bearing hidden symbolism are connected with the time before Christmas. Barborka would appear on the eve of St. Barbara’s day (4. 12.). Good children were not afraid of Barborka even though she was ready to whip the naughty ones. St. Nicolas, according to old folklore, descends every year, on the eve of his feast day (5.12) from heaven to earth to visit people’s houses where he is accompanied by the devil and an angel to visit children and give them presents. Lucie (13. 12.) is usually mentioned in connection with linen spinning. Spinning was strictly prohibited on her feast day and any spinners disobeying this prohibition were believed to have their room fi lled with empty spindles put down the chimney by Lucie. Besides Barborka, Lucie and Nicolas, other masks could be seen. Ambrož (7. 12.) enticed children by scattering sweets and then chased them around the church with a whip. On St. Kateřina’s day (25. 11.), work with anything that involved a wheel was forbidden while at midnight just before St. Ondřej (30. 11.), girls tried to fi nd out whether they would get married the following year or not. On Christmas day, parents would frighten children with the arrival of Percht who would check they were fasting. She would hold a whip and a wooden knife in her hands which used to indicate ripping open the stomach of anyone not having kept the fast. Scary, isn’t it?
Marie Kulinkovská
photo © www.pexels.com
Nesouhlas se zpracováním Vašich osobních údajů byl zaznamenán.
Váš záznam bude z databáze Vydavatelstvím KAM po Česku s.r.o. vymazán neprodleně, nejpozději však v zákonné lhůtě.
