This is a moment from a traditional Easter-morning family gathering in the awakening fields of the countryside of Lithuania. Sometimes absolutely simple things like an Easter morning breakfast can be seen as something unique, individual and precious.

Have you ever had a meal with your family and close friends in the middle of nowhere? Let me tell you, I participated in this  tradition for the first time last year and believe me I’m going to do it this year too. The feeling of your consciousness and subconsciousness opening to nature, the sense of all worries leaving your troubled mind and the experience of ‘being right here, right now’ are simply unspeakable.

Green Shoots

Well outside the biggest, modern Lithuanian cities, the countryside is a totally different world. Broad even fields, small farms, wooden houses and warm-hearted people are the distinctive signs of such a place. Life goes more slowly here because people still feel a primal connection with nature and live in harmony with it. No wonder that old traditions and festival rituals are keep better out here. Easter traditions in particular seem to be somehow stronger and more natural.

Easter for most of Lithuanians is the second biggest festival after Christmas. It is a family festival, which to this day combines both Christian and age-old Lithuanian traditions. According to these, Easter signifies the rejuvenation of nature. Previously the Easter festival had a fixed date on the spring equinox. Around then the temperature gets above freezing and all the greenness starts coming back into the world. This means the end of the cold season and the return of life. For people who make their livings through farming, this really means a lot.

Religion and Tradition

Citizens of Lithuania who are practicing Catholics go to church for Easter Mass and afterward will place food near the Virgin Mary’s altar or in the churchyard. This food is then blessed, after which everyone hurries home in the belief that those who get home first will be first in all their endeavors and that their bees will swarm faster.

Having returned with the blessed foods, everyone sits at the table, laden with traditional goods: eggs, pig’s head or roast piglet, cheese, butter and baked lamb. If there’s no baked lamb, there will be a lamb made of butter or sugar placed on top of sprouted oat greens. This is another symbol of Easter. Before eating commences, the family stands around the table, says three prayers and wishes peace to the home.

The Significance of the Egg

The first meal for the Easter breakfast is always an egg. But before eating them, people take part in a competition to find out whose egg will be strongest. Everybody chooses an egg and hits those chosen by the others. The last person with an unbroken shell will be strong all year.

The egg as a symbol of a new life is of central importance to the traditional Lithuanian Easter festival. Its round surface also signifies the circle of life. Since old times people have dyed and decorated eggs using herbs, wax or onion skin. There are lots of egg painting techniques, but the most common thing for all of them is the use of natural materials and different patterns that usually symbolize plants, celestial bodies and the circle of life.

Easter events occur all around Lithuania at this time of year – in the cities or villages – and visitors are always welcome to participate. In Vilnius’ Uzupis district, we celebrate White Tablecloth Day on the second day of Easter, when the whole neighborhood gathers in one traditional bar, brings food left over from the Easter feast of the previous day and shares with the other neighbors while greeting each other, dancing and singing.

Are you interested in joining an Easter feast like the one pictured above? If you’re in the Klaipeda region around Easter time, contact your whl.travel local connection and they may be able to arrange a seat at a table on the very same organic farm.

If you’re curious to learn more, read more about Lithuanian Easter traditions.

For more of images of Lithuania, you can browse the Klaipeda set of the whl.travel Flickr photostream.

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Tags: Easter, eggs, Europe, farm, Lithuania, local food, local travel, photo of the week, tradition

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 9:02 pm and is filed under Europe, Lithuania, Northern Europe, festivals & events, food & drink, human interests, photo of the week.