So yesterday I had this wild idea – why not dig into Lithuania holidays? Honestly didn’t know much beyond Christmas and Easter there. Grabbed my laptop around midnight with cold coffee (terrible habit, I know) and just fell down this rabbit hole.
The messy start
Started simple – searched “top Lithuania holidays”. Boom! So many tabs my browser nearly crashed. First shocker? Their Christmas Eve celebration called Kūčios is way bigger than actual Christmas Day. Who knew? Made a giant messy list:
- Joninės with bonfires and flower crowns
- Užgavėnės where people dress as demons
- Statehood Day with crazy flags everywhere
My desk looked like a tornado hit it – sticky notes everywhere, three empty coffee mugs. Realized I needed structure, so I grabbed my worn-out journal and started scribbling proper notes.
Trying to experience it from home
Got obsessed with traditional foods after seeing cepelinai photos – those giant potato dumplings look insane! Attempted cooking them myself with disastrous results. Potatoes flew everywhere like it was snowing in my kitchen. Learned Lithuanians go full gourmet during Shrove Tuesday – must’ve eaten twelve types of pancakes that day.
Most emotional discovery was Independence Day on February 16th. Watched crowds singing the anthem with tears – gives goosebumps even on grainy YouTube clips. Made me reflect how little I knew about the Baltic struggles.
The happy mess conclusion
My kitchen now smells vaguely of boiled potatoes and regret. But through the chaos I discovered Lithuania packs crazy traditions into every holiday. Seriously considering buying the traditional straw crown thing for next summer solstice! Final thought: their holidays feel alive with raw, joyful energy – way beyond just days off work.
