The Chod Festival and the St. Lawrence Fair
For more than half a century, the famous Chodské slavnosti have been held every August in Domažlice, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the Chod region’s capital each year and making it the most-attended folklore festival in Bohemia.
Saint Lawrence, the patron saint of Spain and protector against fire, was roasted alive on an iron grate in the 3rd century after he refused to hand over the church’s treasure. The Domažlice town councilors vowed to build a chapel in memory of this saint after successfully overcoming a massive fire that ravaged the town in June 1683. Two years later, the devout wife of a master soapmaker, Zuzana Veselá, took charge of the construction and also provided the land on Veselá hora. The chapel was solemnly consecrated on August 10, 1685. In the years that followed, however, it fell into disrepair until it was completely closed. The Baroque church, which had been built on the site in the 1760s, was also demolished as part of the Josephine reforms. Until the mid-19th century, the building served as a barn.
In 1851, the church on Veselá hora was reconsecrated, and the fame of what was originally a suburban pilgrimage dates back to that time. It was sometimes called the “rabbit pilgrimage,” since the residents of the poor village of Bezděkov prepared roast rabbit for their festive Sunday lunch instead of the traditional goose. Pilgrims heading toward Vavřineček were greeted by festive arches adorned with stuffed rabbit skins and the inscription: “We’ve already roasted it, we’re just taking it out of the oven—since you’ve come to our fair, help yourselves to a piece right away.”
Starting in the 19th century, the festival took on an entertaining character; Holy Mass was followed by a dance party, and there were no shortage of market stalls, performances by traveling actors, and later, amusement rides. The fairs were among the village’s most important festivals. Three were celebrated in Domažlice: in addition to the St. John’s and Marian fairs, there was the St. Lawrence Fair, which over time became the most significant.
