During the 30th annual, SEB pank sponsored mai/jooks (May Run) on 20. mai at the Tallinna laulu/väljak (Song Festival grounds), there was a designated meeste/hoid, as there has been for many years now during the event, which is a naiste/jooks (women's run). Usually those that are hoitud (held or “sat”) are children – lapse/hoidja is a babysitter, laste/hoid is child care, riiete/hoid is a coat check, paki/hoid is a luggage room and meeste/hoid (naljaga pooleks – tongue in cheek), is an area of supervision and activity for men as they wait for their wives, partners, girlfriends, daughters, etc to finish running, walking or nordic walking the 7 km race. The latter is kepi/kõnd, with walking poles.
Activities with which meeste/rahvad could pass the time included disc golf, a ronimis/sein (climbing wall), and the opportunity to have a massaž or get a haircut. But the main thing was for the mehed to cheer the naised (women) on and this was done with the help of 2 päeva/juhid (MCs). Upon closing, one of the meestehoiu hosts reiterated: “Mehed, hoidke oma naisi. Ja vastupidi.” “Men, take care of your wives / the women in your lives. And vice versa.” Hoidma is to hold, hold dear, take care of, cherish, keep, store, sustain, nurture. (Hoidised are preserves.)
There is a popular children's choir song by Kadri Hunt entitled “Üks/teist peab hoidma“, (“We Must Hold One Another Dear”), which was sung at the 10th Youth Song Celebration in 2007, (this summer's is the XII noorte laulu/pidu), and has grown to become a kind of anthem to caring and love. Its refrään: “Üksteist peab hoidma / tuulte ja külma käes. / Armastus annab sooja / südamel, mis on jääs.” “We must hold one another dear / in the winds and cold. / Love provides warmth / for a heart that is frozen.” Look for it on YouTube.
* hani = a goose
Riina Kindlam, Tallinn
