Lithuanian Christmas Traditions

http://neris.mii.lt/CHRISTMAS/christmas_eve.html ^

[balticbeau]

On Christmas Eve the house must be thoroughly cleaned, all the bed linens changed and all family members must bathe and don clean clothes before the evening meal. For the Christmas Eve dinner, the table is prepared as follows: a handfull of fine hay is spread evenly on the table. This is a reminder that Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger on hay. The table is then covered with a pure white tablecloth, set with plates and decorated with candles and fir boughs. Live flowers are inappropriate for the table, in particular red or white poinsettias which are so popular in some countries at Christmastime. A small plate with as many Christmas wafers as there are persons present is placed in the center of the table. In some Lithuanian regions these wafers were called God's cakes (Dievo pyragai) for they were obtained from the parish and were imprinted with Biblical scenes of Jesus' birth. Although plotkele was the popular and better known term, the word is borrowed from the Slavic. It is better to say paplotelis, plokstainelis or even Dievo pyragas.

All family members make an effort to come home for the Christmas Eve supper, even from a distance. Perhaps not so much for the meal as for the sacred family ritual which draws the family members closer, banding everyone and strengthening warm family ties. If a family member has died that year or cannot attend the meal (only for very serious reasons) an empty place is left at the table...

[balticbeau]

I would like to share the traditions that Lithuanians observe at Christmas. Many are similar to those in other European countries and others are unique. Christmas Eve is the important day and not Christmas Day as it is here in the USA.

[nothingnew]

Thanks for the post and merry Christmas.

FMCDH(BITS)

[rightthinkingwoman]

Thanks so much for this. I am Lithuanian on the maternal side. Until just a few years ago, we had only seafood on Christmas Eve. It has always been our big celebration, not on Christmas Day. We do, however, have the exotic seafood! We still do not have turkey, ham or roast but have added lasagna recently.

We also do the wafer thing although not in the order prescribed in the link. It's just kind of a free for all after my father prays.

My favorite line, "Children whining should be ignored!"

Am passing this on to the family!

[nothingnew]

You're very welcome. I'm Lithuanian on the paternal side. As near as I can tell, my fathers' name was actually Brownislaus Jakoveckus before his father changed the family name after coming to the US to leave his homeland just before WWI.

"Children whining should be ignored" is a great way to deal with a lot of children, even grown children.

FMCDH(BITS)

[balticbeau]

You're very welcome.
It's only as I get older (and wiser?) that I realize how significant and important traditions are for all of us.
PS. I was born in Lithuania and grew up in the greatest country in the world - the USA

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thank you very much for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading it and passed it on to my daughter who is studying in Uppsala, Sweden for her junior year. She hopes to travel to Lithuania in the Spring and this will help her understand the culture there.

BTW, I was much amused by the admonition that "Children whining that they do not like and are unaccustomed to such food should also be ignored." This seems uncessarily cruel. Shouldn't they take the little darlings to McDonalds to get them a yummy treat that they would like to eat rather than being forced to eat traditional holiday foods? ;>)

[ozzymandus]

Anybody remember the Schmenge brothers from the old SCTV show? They had a Christmas Special featuring the Christmas traditions of their made-up homeland of Leutonia.

[ethics]

Sviekas!

These traditions are familiar to me especially 'Kucios'.

I remember them well from my parents and grandparents!

[lizol]

Eastern European ping list

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[pankot]

Thanks. My Dziadek was born in Lietvak as he called it.

[balticbeau]

It's a pleasure to meet someone of Lithuanian origin on Free Republic. I wish you Linksmu Kaledu! (Merry Christmas! to all who do not speak Lithuanian).

[shaggy eel]

Twelve different dishes are served on the table because Jesus had twelve apostles. All the dishes are strictly meatless: fish, herring,slizikai with poppy seed milk, kisielius (cranberry pudding), a dried fruit soup or compote, a salad of winter and dried vegetables, mushrooms, boiled or baked potatoes, sauerkraut (cooked, of course, without meat) and bread. In keeping with Lithuanian Christmas tradition, only the dishes as they were prepared in Lithuania for this meal should be eaten and fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, exotic seafood should be left for another meal. It must not be forgotten that Lithuania is a northern European country where cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, etc., do not grow in winter. The people whose lifestyle produced the Kucios traditions made do with foodstuffs prepared in the summer and fall: dried, pickled and otherwise preserved for the winter.

,,, a lack of meat in the courses served reminds me of no meat on Fridays during the run up to easter. Thanx for posting this article - it's good to see how other countries work things out for different occasions. Have a great Christmas!

[ethics]

Aciu!

[Angelas]

Thank you for posting this. I am Lithuanian and treasure Kucios!

[Dante3]

Interesting.

[G8 Diplomat]

I'm a little late, but interesting post :)

[NeoCaveman]

Lithuanian ping.

[xsmommy]

our peeps!

[xsmommy]

i appreciated your post as well. my maternal grandparents were both from Lithuania and we observed many of the traditions, i remember some lithuanian words etc. My grandparents passed on before i had children and i regret my kids not having access to that side of their family.