https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3 LITHUANIAN CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS eTwinning project "We get to know each other through traditions" en-us 2018-04-08 16:09:48 UTC 2023-07-05 02:39:50 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249712127  According to legend of the Catholic Church, St. George was a martyred knight. He is Lithuania's second guardian. The name George spread throughout Lithuania from the Eastern regions of Greater Lithuanian territories, before official Lithuanian baptism. In the 16th - 18th centuries , Lithuanian St. George's feast day customs found a rich, local heritage. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:07:31 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249712127 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249712396  Ethnographically, it is possible to select this Feast's two complexes, put into fewer words agrarian labors and widely written cattle rearing. J.Lasickis, in his work, published in 1615, " About Samogitian false Christian gods and other disgraces", discusses the  agrarian half of this holiday. He writes, " on St. George's day they made offerings to Pergrubis, who was believed to be the God of all plants. The ecclesiast , whom he referred to as the chief of the rural district, holds in his right hand a wide bottomed goblet, full of beer and having called by name a God, sings the following in his honor, " You chase away winter, you return the pleasantness of Spring, fields and forests turn green". ]]> 2018-04-09 10:08:39 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249712396 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249713877  Having finished the song, he drinks the beer, holding the goblet with his teeth and throws the empty goblet over his head. The goblet is picked up, filled again with beer, and is sent around those present, who continue singing, honoring God Pergrubis.]]> 2018-04-09 10:13:56 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249713877 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249715621  The rites of spring holidays are carried on in like fashion in Lithuania Minor, Asrutis, Ragaiė, Kurėa, written about in 1278, by M.Strijovskis in, " Polish, Lithuanian, Samogitian and Russian Chronicle". Example, " In spring, when snow melts, grass appears, several villages prepare a quarter or a whole barrel of rye malt to brew beer.As everyone gathers in one house, the ecclesiast picks up a container of beer, raises it, saying, "Our Almighty God Pergrubis! ]]> 2018-04-09 10:22:05 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249715621 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249716443 Everyone present starts drinking after this, the third request to Almighty God of Light - Švaišdikla;, to supply plenty of light for fields of grain, hay fields, flowers and animals. Then prayers continue to the fourth God, Pilvièius, so that the harvest would be gathered properly and barns are filled. Theserituals continue until offerings are made to fifteen Gods". ]]> 2018-04-09 10:25:56 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249716443 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249716486  You chased away winter, doubled greenery on all the land, we are now imploring you to increase the growth of our grain, to destroy all weeds". He then picks up the goblet with his teeth, drinks it empty, throws it over his head, not touching it with his hands. Another official of the rural district, standing behind, catches the goblet, quickly fills it with beer and sets it in front of the ecclesiast. He picks up the goblet in his hand, requests Perkūnas, God of Thunder, to curb hail, lightning, rain, storms and destructive clouds. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:26:09 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249716486 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249716949  In the end of the 16th century, J.Bretkūnas describes similarly, spring holiday rituals. "People in the region of Suduva, every year, celebrated two holidays. First was called holiday of Pergrubijus, celebrated in the spring, before plowing fields. People gathered from different villages, brought several barrels of beer that were purchased with money coming from sales of products that grew in one common field" ]]> 2018-04-09 10:28:06 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249716949 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249717321 In the region of Dieveniškės, Eastern Lithuania, at the end of last century, on the Eve of St. George's day, the owner plowed the first furrow in the field, he had a sash tied around his waist with a linen bag filled with bread and salt. Upon return from plowing, distributed the bread with salt, so that in next plowing the plow would not break and family would not run short of bread. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:29:54 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249717321 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249717416  At the start of 19th - 20th centuries, there are numerous writings about ritual bread baking, offerings and ritual eating. This is again connected to agrarian traditions, assuring a better harvest. In the morning of St. George's day, it was tradition to take one or two loaves of bread, in which five eggs were baked, carry them around the fields three to twelve times. Then one loaf was dug in the field, requesting a good harvest. The remaining loaf was broken into the same number of pieces as there were family members, and eaten ]]> 2018-04-09 10:30:22 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249717416 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249717700  Again, in the same region, on St. George's day, the owner took the ritual bread roll to the rye field, put it on the ground and bent his ear towards the earth to listen to what the rye was talking about. If he expected the rye harvest  to be good, while listening he heard a voice from the earth, "move away, I will sow here". If that year's gain harvest was to be a poor one, there was no sound from the rye field. Then the owner carried the ritual bread around the field, later carried it to church and placed it on St. George's altar. Orchard growth and its harvest had to be awakened on this day, by a boy born at sunrise on this day and named George. Near Raseiniai, in Samogitia, at the end of 19th century, as orchards were in bud, such child was treated to delicious foods and at sundown was undressed naked and walked about the orchard, making all kinds of promises. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:31:23 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249717700 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718074  When the cattle are herded into barns, food is set out. The owner is first to have a drink, then sends the drink around to those present, then everyone sings and starts eating. After eating, everyone prays again. Then frolicking and fooling around, the happier they become, the better it is. This is done so that the animals will be always in good spirits and health. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:33:01 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718074 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718075  Another wider known St. George's day ritual complex is attributed to animals' first driving outside. 17th and 18th centuries' joint M.Pretorius's writings, "Prussian interests or Prussian theater", animals' first drive outdoors is described, "when people take animals outside for the first time, they behave this way, the owner alone does that from barns near gardens, he walks three times around the animals, praying to God to protect the herd. He also thanks for the herd's life till now and requests St .George to keep dogs, bears, foxes and wolves away from the herd". That day, no one eats, fasting continues until the herd is brought back. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:33:01 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718075 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718277  M.Pretorijus relates that Lithuanians during horse blessing rituals sacrificed a rooster to Goddess Žemyna. While eating the cooked rooster meat, beer was poured on the ground, the following words were spoken to the Goddess, "Žemyna, be happy riding our horses". At the rituals end, the owner dug the roosters feet in the barn saying," I will have good mares from these feet and bones". ]]> 2018-04-09 10:34:00 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718277 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718367  D.Poška, in his 1823 writings, " About ancient pagan, religious rites in Lithuanian and Samogitian principalities", relates about God Ganikla. " This God, in both principalities, is honored and remembered until now, however now Christians have given away the care of cattle, horses and other animals to St. George, in whose honor, every April 23rd they carry to church offerings of new born calves and other offerings. ]]> 2018-04-09 10:34:30 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718367 https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718543  Also, among country folk, the following prayer is repeated everyday by landowners and shepherds, "St. George look after grazing horses and cattle" .]]> 2018-04-09 10:35:29 UTC https://padlet.com/Edita_/wcsgis7vnje3/wish/249718543