Comments on: Whipping and chasing and drinking and praying

Whipping and chasing and drinking and praying

tellurian — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:53:59 -0800

A strange ritual is played out in Choupic, Louisiana on Mardi Gras day. Something similar happens in Prague on Easter Monday too. [via]

By: WhipSmart

WhipSmart — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:13:45 -0800

"...Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church... the article lost me after that...

By: bigschmoove

bigschmoove — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:23:39 -0800

There's also smigus dyngus. It caught me completely off guard the first time I went to Poland.

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:33:18 -0800

Damn. You beat me to Dyngus Day! As a native of the Buffalo, NY, area, I've had my share of pussy willow lashes!

By: jann

jann — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 01:23:22 -0800

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.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 03:40:27 -0800

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.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 04:21:33 -0800

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.

By: atchafalaya

atchafalaya — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 04:53:17 -0800

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.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 05:12:15 -0800

Okay, we round them up and flog them too.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 06:08:48 -0800

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.

By: Baby_Balrog

Baby_Balrog — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 07:22:01 -0800

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!'

By: tellurian

tellurian — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 07:49:46 -0800

Baby_Balrog, you kill me, I thought you were serious for a second.

By: LilBucner

LilBucner — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 08:41:59 -0800

Is any of this related to Whacking Day?

By: turbodog

turbodog — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 13:08:44 -0800

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.