Ethnocultural Events in Lithuania

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As it does every summer, the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture once again published a guide (in Lithuanian) to the many upcoming events in the area of folk arts and ethnic culture. It is available at https://ekgt.lt/Veiklos-sritys/Gidai/Vasara/. This year it includes the dates and locations of the most popular events, and links to detailed event information.

A few international folklore festivals presenting authentic Lithuanian regional as well as non-native folk song, dance and other traditions already took place in June, with the next events in the month being planned in Plungė, in the heart of Žemaitija, June 17-19. At Nida, a favourite Baltic location, there will be a festival from June 20-23, and in Klaipėda from June 23-26, where examples of UNESCO traditional culture will be celebrated.

In Šilutė, in Lithuania Minor, June 26 the festival of Vėtrungės, the unique weathervanes originally used by fishermen, will also feature other customs of the region.

The Council includes July 6 in its calendar, to remind Lithuanians throughout the world to gather and sing the National Anthem at 9 PM local time. This became a tradition after the Millenium Odyssey in 2009, uniting Lithuanian communities in every continent, and continues to this day http://www.tautiskagiesme.lt.

Song festivals are especially characteristic of Lithuania, and traditional multipart songs, sutartinės, are already on the UNESCO list of cultural heritage. On July 6 all singers and aficionados of this genre will gather in Ukmergė, with another festival on the Mažųjų Žinėnų castle hill in the Jonava district.

Dzūkija or Dainava is one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is a cultural region defined by traditional lifestyles and dialects of the local Lithuanian population (mostly rural farmers) and has never been defined as a political or administrative unit. A new musical festival, “Čiulba ulba” will be held July 14–17.

This is the year of the language of the Lowlanders – Samogitians, or Žemaičiai. Song is such an important part of the language, for all Lithuanians and Žemaičiai, that a special song festival will be held in Skuodas July 15-16.

In Lithuania, 2022 has also been named the year of Sūduva. Also called Sudovia or Suvalkija, it is a region of south-western Lithuania, first mentioned by Ptolemy around the year 150 in his book “Geography”, where he identfies Sudovian and other tribes living by the Baltic Sea. It became part of the Grandy Duchy of Lithuania in 1422. Many celebrations are planned for this 600th anniversary, including a particularly interesting one in Prienai, called the “Bread and Fire” Festival on August 27.

A traditional “Dainų šventė” or song festival in Lithuania is held every four  years, with the next one planned for 2024. Certain parts of this huge festival will be previewed as early as this summer, with the XIX Baltic Student Folk Song and Folk Dance Festival “Gaudeamus” in Vilnius June 17–19, and the Kaunas Song Festival and the Western Lithuanian Songfest in Klaipėda on June 11-12.

A unique opportunity for anyone visiting Lithuania this summer is the Europeade – the largest ethnic culture and costume festival in Europe, called the Europeade. It will be in Klaipėda from July 13-17. Apart from traditional song, Lithuanians will hear alternative music in Ukmergė on June 23-25 at the ethnoculture and heavy metal event “Kilkim žaibu” (Rise in Lightning). Toward the end of the summer, from August 26-28, fans of independent, contemporary, post-folkloric and alternative music can enjoy the “Mėnuo juodaragio XX” festival on Dūburys Island in the Zarasai district.

For travellers to Lithuania this summer offers a wide variety of events to learn and enjoy every corner of the country, its ethnic culture and its music.