Folklore and traditions

Regions Podluží and Mikroregion Hodonínsko, the area between townsHodonín and Břeclav, belong to very interesting and ancient ethnographic regions. The largest part of this area has always been called Podluží. Name is derived from a typical character of this region - stagnant water - called here as „Luže. Podluží is then region under the alluvial forests in southernmost patch of Moravian land, on the right bank of the Morava river, before the confl uence with Dyje river. Variety and diversity of south Slovácko is also provided by villages of neighboring regions - Čejkovice, belonging to the Hanácko´s Slovácko, Ratíškovice and Dubňany, representing Kyjovsko and last but not least, Dolnácko ´s village Rohatec. What is still most associated with these regions, is the rich tradition of folk culture. So, why is it good to come over and what offer local ethnographic regions?

Mountain driving is an old wine tradition. Men bring on their shoulders „mountain" - it is a barked trunk, at the top of which is fixed bunch of nine flowers. They put the trunk into the pre-dug pit, which is a sign, that no one has an access to the vineyards before the grape harvest. The exception is for pregnant women, children and „hotari" - guards, who used to have big competences in the past. The celebration take place from mid August to mid-September. It takes place for example in Moravský Žižkov, Čejkovice, Prušánky or Josefov.

Traditional wine feasts include vintage. Today, the cultural programme mostly include performances of folklore ensembles, brass bands and cymbalo music and mainly wine and young wine tasting. You will see that in September in Prušánky, but also in other places of the region.

Not only wine growers longingly expect St. Martin´s day. On the 11th of November, the first bottles of wine from autumn harvest are opened. And if the young St. Martin´s wine is good, it means that all wine will be of good quality. St. Martin s feast used to be a time of good food, drink and vigorous joy and it also survived until today, as people like tasting of young wines and they use this opportunity for entertainment and meeting friends. You can attend vintage for example in November, in Moravská Nová Ves.

An important event is also the celebrating of wine. It takes place every year, on the day of St. John the Evangelist (December 27), who was given poisoned wine by his enemies, but after the saint blessed it, the poison lost its effect. We can again recommend Moravská Nová Ves (26.12).

In order to be able to drink wine where it matures and where actually it is at home, we have Open wine cellars days. Historically it results from the traditional visiting of wine cellars and tasting wines by winemakers and their friends. Modern concept is based on the desire to have this selection from a varied collection of wines for all visitors. Magical atmosphere of winecellars, located in the unique landscape of the South Moravia, even amplify the impressions... It is open continuously in all wine villages of both regions.

The most important folklore feast and major social event of the year, however, are the folk costumes feast, hold in every village of Slovácko. Their climax is almost always on the nearest Sunday of the day of the saint to whom is dedicated the local church. It is celebrated almost everywhere, in every village, however,it slightly differs in the course of the celebrations, in folk costumes and even in the person, who organizes the festival. This feast is exclusively in concern of old men (stárci) and chasa (young men interested in folk culture). Each year, two stárci are elected, each has his own stárka (woman), men sommelier and woman sommelier. For stárci and chasa the preparations begin several weeks before the feast, they have to pick up the May pole for example. The feast begin in the last working days before the Sunday feast, the May pole is rised. On Friday and Saturday the feast area, dance floor and all the other elements are being prepared. During both days, however, celebrations by the cymbalo, with married men´s choirs singing or even with disco take place. In the main feast day the music is provided by brass music. Today, in some villages the feast take place only on Sunday but in others it continues until Wednesday, whereas each day has its traditional scenario (on Monday it is usualy married men feast, on Tuesday girls usually celebrate). A week after, the feast is followed by small feast, which shuts the feast celebrations. It is celebrated from June to November.

Worth visiting also are the folk costume balls, held in January and February by folk costumes chasa in most of the villages. Of course that even without folk costume you can visit this ball.

The biggest show of folk costumes, folk music and examples of customs and traditions of the south Slovácko, represent the ethnographic festival Podluží in songs and dances in Tvrdonice. Since 1946, the first weekend of June becomes a meeting of all generations lovers of folklore in the local ethnographic areal, where almost a thousand of performers annualy perform. Scenario is firmly fixed: on Friday you can find here brass bands, Saturday is reserved for children‘s folk music, parade of children‘s folklore ensembles and competition in singing and dancing „o stárkovské právo", Sunday is in sign of a solemn Mass and subsequent ride of chasa (young men in folk costumes) on wagons drawn by horses, which s continued by the main program, in which ensembles and Slovácko clubs of Podluží and guests from other regions and even from abroad introduce themselves. You can see here for example typical dance called „verbunk"accompanied bysinging, its beginning falls back to the 18 century, when it was danced by the young conscripts in the army and which is entered on the list of intangible cultural world eritage UNESCO.

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