Whipping and chasing and drinking and praying

March 2, 2006 10:53 PM

A strange ritual is played out in Choupic, Louisiana on Mardi Gras day. Something similar happens in Prague on Easter Monday too. [via]
posted by tellurian (13 comments total)

"...Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church...

the article lost me after that...
posted by WhipSmart at 11:13 PM on March 2, 2006

There's also smigus dyngus. It caught me completely off guard the first time I went to Poland.
posted by bigschmoove at 11:23 PM on March 2, 2006

Damn. You beat me to Dyngus Day! As a native of the Buffalo, NY, area, I've had my share of pussy willow lashes!
posted by Doohickie at 11:33 PM on March 2, 2006

There's also the Perchtenlauf in the Alps. Usually it's part of the Rauhnächte and connected with the period around Christmas, although it's not entirely divorceable from certain alpine Fasnacht (aka carneval) practices either.
posted by jann at 1:23 AM on March 3, 2006

Is it just me or does no one else find the underlying premise of these rituals with their elements of sadism somewhat creepy? Great photos jann.
posted by tellurian at 3:40 AM on March 3, 2006

Actually, now I hear that that the practice is somewhat fragmented, I propose there should be some international consolidation of the day. SWD (Symbolic Whipping Day), when all nations participate in a day of whipping. Each and every nation rounds up their youth and females and whips them publicly. Bizarre.
posted by tellurian at 4:21 AM on March 3, 2006

Choupic, by the way, pronounced Shoepick, is a kind of fish. Just like Gaspergou. Which is freshwater drum. Or sac au lait, which is bream, I think.
posted by atchafalaya at 4:53 AM on March 3, 2006

Okay, we round them up and flog them too.
posted by tellurian at 5:12 AM on March 3, 2006

hah, tellurian, I love that you have unearthed more of this strange ritual - thank you! Love your idea of a consolidated symbolic whipping day, haha.

Here is more about dyngus day in a prior thread by tsfaran, in which our own three blind mice gives a personal testimony of the Czech ritual.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:08 AM on March 3, 2006

That holiday is awesome. I'd love to run my cousins down and give 'em a good whoopin.

In fact - I think if I was a kid again, this'd probably be the greatest thing ever. My older brother and his friends used to chase me through the woods, but that was always just to pick me up and throw me in the swamp... I think this is way better.

If you're going to have a mystical, religious holiday, you should try and put some mysticism into it. Masked villagers chasing you through the woods with switches - and an inevitable public prayer/flogging session at the end - involves the child at a much deeper level than sitting through some boring morning church service with 'seasonal hymns' and a special form of communion. Blagh. I'm all for the 'uh-oh! Easter is coming! Run screaming through the marsh or you'll get whooped!'
posted by Baby_Balrog at 7:22 AM on March 3, 2006

Baby_Balrog, you kill me, I thought you were serious for a second.
posted by tellurian at 7:49 AM on March 3, 2006

Is any of this related to Whacking Day?
posted by LilBucner at 8:41 AM on March 3, 2006

Choupic, by the way, pronounced Shoepick, is a kind of fish. Just like Gaspergou. Which is freshwater drum. Or sac au lait, which is bream, I think.

Google tells me that sac au lait are known in the outside world as crappie. Bream and sac au lait are similar, but not the same thing.
posted by turbodog at 1:08 PM on March 3, 2006