Winter holidays in Lithuania have roots in pre-Christian traditions but became associated with Christian dates. Key winter holidays include Christmas Eve celebrated on the longest night with a large supper and rituals after dark. Christmas is a three-day celebration of the return of the sun that involved religious rituals and social gatherings. New Year's Eve involved divination of the next year's harvest. Epiphany marks the end of Christmas celebrations and involves processions where people dressed as supernatural beings and the Three Kings visited homes bringing well-wishes.

1. Winter Holidays

2. • Since long time ago, the Lithuanians, like
other nations, celebrated the many significant
days. There were formed entire festive cycles
with their clear purpose. They were
associated with one or another material and
spiritual life need. After the Christianity was
brought into, most of these holidays have
been associated with the Christian dates, but
they kept their old pre-Christian nature and is
a valuable source of ancient world to shed
light on.

3. Winter Holidays
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas
• New Year’s Day
• Epiphany

4. Christmas Eve
• Christmas Eve is a traditional village holiday,
which is celebrated during the shortest day and
longest night. It is the night holiday and the
celebration begins only in the late evening.The
ritual supper is not eaten until the evening star
appears in the sky. After having the big supper,
Christmas Eve’s sorcery, witchcraft and
superstitions began. Christmas Eve’s celebration
symbolically lasted all night: going to bed, a table
was left unclear and sometimes even set afresh
with special dishes, so that the souls of the dead
would eat well.

6. Christmas
• Christmas is an ancestral celebration of the return of the sun.
From that time on days begin to lengthen. There can be still
found many of the old customs, especially divination and
predictions, in the current Christmas. In ancient times,
Christmas was celebrated for three days. It was possible in
the farming nation, because in the middle of winter no much
work has to be done, just to tidy up at home and look after
the animals. The first day of Christmas was so sacred that only
the most necessary work was allowed. There was no visiting,
no cooking. On Christmas morning, before breakfast, the
family sang holy Christmas carols, and then greeted each
other with a holy Christmas and then ate breakfast. On
Christmas morning, the Christmas Eve supper table was
cleared away and checked to see if souls of the dead left any
signs of having been at the table.

7. • People went out to look what the Christmas weather
was like. If Christmas is white Easter is green. If it
happened that during the Christmas snow had not
covered the ground, it is certainly snow at Easter. In
later times, people went out a lot on the first
Christmas day, but it wasn’t forgotten that this is
Jesus' Birthday Celebration. For example, the
neighbours gathered in the larger landowner’s
house, sang Christmas carols, prayed, and only then
musicians appeared. The hosts started the first
dance. This was the official end of Advent, because in
Advent time to have fun was avoided or even
forbidden. The Christmas season in Lithuania lasts till
Epiphany (the Three Kings).

8. New Year
• At New Year's Eve, as well as during the New
Year was divined next year's harvest. At New
Year's Eve, lit a stove in a bathhouse and
threw a billet of lime. It means the harmony
within the family, friendships with neighbours.
Lithuanians in the New Year's Eve sacrificed a
goat to wolves at the crossroads believing that
in this way it will save their livestock from wild
animals through out the year.

9. • One of the most interesting rituals is hauling a
chump through the village and into every
yard. People were dressed as gypsies or
strangers. They beat “tabalai” and sang a song
about the old man, whose bones are thin and
long as riding-crops. People believed, as you
meet and spend the New Year, you will live all
this year, so everyone tried to be cheerful,
careless, not to make anyone angry.

10. Epiphany
In Lithuania, this day of the Three Kings - Epiphany, crowns the twelve
day period after the Winter Solstice - Christmas.
In Lithuania this holiday preserved numerous pagan elements.
Participants in the processions dressed as supernatural beings, angels,
devils, death. However, the main walkers were three men, dressed as
the Three Kings. One of them with a black face, wearing royal
clothing, a hat decorated with glitter and a linen beard. The Kings’
guide, an angel, carried a moving candle in his hand The Kings did visit
all village homesteads, wrote their initials, K M B ( Kasparas, Merkelis,
Baltazaras ), on the door post upon entering. Their Angel guide,
usually a boy or girl, dressed all in white, carried a huge star shape to
which are attached glittering bells. The Three Kings’ walking from
village to village, from house to house, singing Christmas hymns,
wishing health and asking for gifts, checked to see if their initials were
on the door posts. A Devil, dressed all in black, with a long red tongue
and a switching tail, walked together with the Three Kings. The Three
Kings’ processions, carvings and writings of their initials on doors are
still carried on today.