Easter tradition carried on

Traditions often continue even though no-one remembers why they started and around 12 villages in the Czech Republic have their own special Easter tradition.

Marching Judas

Known as the Vodění Jidáše (roughly translated as Marching Judas), it consists of dressing the oldest boy in the town in a costume made of hay with a huge cap made of rye stalks and marching him through the village leading a parade of younger boys armed with noisy rattles to announce their arrival.

Singing as they go, they stop at each house in the village and when the residents come out, they serenade them in expectation of receiving a gift of chocolate or possibly chicken eggs and because there are so many gifts, some of the children pull little carts to store them in.

In the village of Stradouň, the route covers an uncomfortable three kilometres with the Judas barely able to see and with his arms restricted by the hay suit.

Eventually, when every house has been visited, he is helped out of his suit which is then ceremonially burned whilst the youngsters divide the proceeds.

No-one knows why it started

Although many of the songs are hymns dating back to the 16^th century, it is believed that the tradition only dates back to the 19^th century although no-one appears to know why it was introduced in the first place.