Lithuanian Christmas traditions share similarities with other Indo-European peoples. On Christmas Eve, Lithuanians would not work and try to predict the weather through magic. They believed greetings and wishes held great magical power. In the morning, remnants of the previous night's meal were removed and hay was taken out for livestock. Traditional dishes included pork or boar. Santa Claus was depicted as a jolly old man in red who gave gifts to good children. Pork and pigs were commonly sacrificed and eaten, with the pig's head as the centerpiece. Attributes of Christmas included a bag and stick carried by the figure of Santa Claus.

1. Gustė Paškauskaitė ir Beatričė Martyšiūtė (8d kl.)

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4. Christmas is considered to be an old festival. The name “Christmas” is
known to many nations (Romans, Greeks, Slavs, Albanians and other).
There are several opinions on the origin of the festival name. Christmas
begins on 25th December. This date was considered to be sun and
vegetation God’s birthday. During the Christmas celebration in
Lithuania, people make magic actions, sing songs, ect.
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6. Lithuanian Christmas rituals have many in common
with other Indo-European peoples rites. On the first
day of Christmas people used to be in serious mood.
They did not go outside and did not work, but using
magics were trying to predict the next year’s weather
and amount of harvest. On cold Christmas day people
were expecting snowy Easter and late spring. As well
as on other holidays in Lithuania, a great magic
power was attributed to greetings and wishes.
on Christmas too.
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7. Our ancestors had to get up early on Christmas
morning, remove Christmas Eve dishes from the
table looking if there are no traces of spirits.
Removed hay from the table they used to hand out
for the livestock. Traditional dishes was pork or
boar. In Samogitia (Žemaitijoje) a hotchpotch with
a pig’s tail in the middle of bowl was placed on the
Christmas table.
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8. Santa Claus is depicted as a cute, nice, heavy old man
with a long white beard, red clothes and hat, and a
bag of gifts. Children are told, that on Christmas Eve
he comes on reindeer harnessed sleigh beard and gives
to all good children. In Lithuania there was a custom
to visit neighbors on the Christmas morning dressed up
like a Santa Claus (Kalėda) wishing a good harvest.
In folk songs it is told about his trip from a far
country.
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10. Dishes
Written sources mention ritual pork eating during
the festival and the custom of pig and piglets
sacrificing when starting farming works. In
Lithuania it is widely spread custom to slaughter a
pig before Christmas. Slaughtered pig’s head decorated
with various herbs took the most important place on
the table among all the other dishes. In Samogitia
(Žemaitijoje) a hotchpotch with a pig’s tail in the
middle of bowl was placed on the Christmas table.

11. Christmas Attributes
Inherent Christmas attributes were – a bag
and a stick. People used to welcome and feast
Santa Claus, and he regarding this used to
reward all with gifts, congratulate, wish for
hosts wealthy harvest next year, dance with
children and give them brought with himself
nuts.

12. There was a custom in Pilviškių village, Kurklelių
district when a man dressed up in a fur coat inside-out
with a towel on his hips, linen beard and hump on his
back used to take a basket and stick, and visit
neighbors.
atgal

13. Sources :
www.google.lt/vaizdai
www.vikipedia.lt
and
Pranė Dundulienė
„ Lietuvių šventės :tradicijos, papročiai,
apeigos “