“Gyvo žalio“, translated as “Living green“ does not refer to ecology, but is an invocation or greeting used at the rite of spring called Jorė celebrated by Lithuanians belonging to the religious community “Romuva“. They follow the pagan religion of our Baltic ancestors , practiced by about 5000 Lithuanians in Lithuania, with some adherents in the US. The 26th Jorė celebration takes place on the last weekend of April, with the largest gathering at the village of Kulioniai, the site of an ancient castle hill in Molėtai region, on the grounds of the Ethnographic Museum.
Jorė is a celebration of renewal of everything that is alive, in concert with the arrival of spring, and is organized by museum curators Jonas Vaiškūnas and Daiva Vaiškūnienė. The event takes two days, with preparation before that including building a bonfire, an outdoor sauna, and decorating with the first sprigs of spring. The first day features workshops, time at the observatory, various exhibits, a bonfire and a night-time hike. Everyone gathers on the second day, Sunday, for a procession with flags and hymns to the castle hill, where various initiations and commemoration rites are performed, as well as the reenactment of a warriors’ battle.
The procession then returns to the observatory to pay homage to the ancient Baltic gods Gabija (goddess of fire), Žemyna (earth) and Perkūnas (thunder), and to offer stones from various Baltic locations to Perkūnas. The highlight of the festival is feasting on traditional stew and scrambled eggs, each prepared in a communal cauldron, and sharing other foods brought by participants.
Also included in the program are games such as rolling joručiai or specially decorated eggs, swinging on swings, and workshops on singing rounds, creating straw decorations and bronze jewellery as well as learning about the beliefs of the ancients from experts on culture and mythology.
A video about Romuva and the Jorė celebration is available in English at the end of the article posted on April 21, 2022: https://alkas.lt/2022/04/21/jores-svente-neeiline-proga-patirti-pirmaprade-gaiva-ir-galia/. Alkas.lt
