What is "hody"

Hody may refer to:

• John Hody, MP
• Humphrey Hody
• Hody (Moravia)

Hody (the Feast) is an annual traditional celebration held in the villages of Moravia, Czech Republic. The festivity is held from May to November in almost all villages and towns of South Eastern Moravia. The time of the celebration differs - each village has a church building consecrated to a Saint patron, and the date of the saint's day is also the date for celebration of Hody.

The celebration usually starts at Friday and lasts whole weekend. In the centre of the event is a maypole (in Czech: Mája) manually erected by the men of a village. The maypole is often more than 30 metres tall, connected from two or three spruce trees. It is erected with the help of ladders and crowbars. The maypole stands in the centre of a dancing place (in Czech: plac). People are dancing and singing around with the accompaniment of the brass music called Dechovka.

The main organizer and arranger of Hody is a selected young boy called první stárek (the first stárek). He, together with a group of young friends also called stáreks (Czech plural: stárci), is responsible for organization and calm course of the celebration. Each stárek also has a girl partner, usually called starka or stárka. The boys and girls wears a traditional folk costume, which differs widely from region to region.

At the beginning of Hody, a mayor of the village or town should pass symbolically the rule over the village to the first stárek.