Five Things You Need to Know Today—Easter Edition

Happy Easter! Today's 5 Things brings you a list of unique Easter traditions celebrated around the world, according to the United Kingdom's Mirror online publication.

1. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia celebrate Easter Monday with the tradition of spanking or whipping women. After throwing water on the women, the males whip them because of a legend that says women should be spanked in order to keep their beauty and health during the next year. Whips are made from willow with decorative ribbons.
2. Children in Finland beg in the street with soot on their faces and broomsticks in their hands. Similar to our idea of Halloween, this tradition is meant to ward off witches that fly between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
3. A "death dance" is performed a few days before Easter in Verges, Spain, and involves a parade in the medieval town. Citizens dress in costume for the dance that begins at midnight. It last three hours and ends with skeletons carrying boxes of ashes.
4. Easter is a lucky day for men in Poland. Legend warns that if the man of the house helps prepare the traditional Easter bread, his mustache will turn gray. (Try getting out of helping with bread prep with that one.)
5. A giant omelet with more than 4,500 eggs is prepared in the streets of Haux, France. It serves up to 1,000 people during lunchtime.