CHRISTMAS
IN LITHUANIAN FOLKLORE AND TRADITION
Translations by Gloria O’Brien
George Soros, the
American millionaire and philanthropist for emerging Europe, supported and
encouraged, among a great many other endeavors, the reform and expansion of edu
“Kūčių
Vakaras” -- “The Day and Evening Before Christmas”
The day before Christmas was celebrated in Žemaitija with great ceremony. People took great care about the kinds of
work they would undertake that day, and what they would avoid. They believed that day had a powerful effect
over all of the coming year, over hard work and easy, good luck and bad, life
and death. They did their best to
influence fate by comporting themselves in an exemplary way.
One took care to avoid lending anything to a neighbor, as one’s luck
for the entire year could be lent along with the item.
That day, if a chance visitor happened to be a man alone, they
said, “Now all our ewes will bear only
males, and we will have no females at all!”
And if the chance visitor was a woman alone, they said, “Now look, all
our ewes will bear only females.” (Obviously,
lone visitors should stay home, and only couples should undertake to visit
anyone on that day!)
If a person weaves footwear for himself that day, from hemp or flaxen
fibers, his ewes will bear speckled lambs.
And if one twists thread or spins that day, their flax and hemp will
not grow well in the coming year.
If one sews embroidery, or sews a patch on clothing, then their flax
will be ruined at the root.
Housewives should not feed their chickens all that day, so that during
the coming summer, they would not dig in the gardens, and cause no damage to
vegetables.
If it snows that day, with big flakes, that would be a great blessing
for bees, and honey will be abundant and cheap.
But if there is no snow, nor any rain, then they say the summer will be
too dry for the bees and honey will be expensive.
That day, beekeepers do their best to give at least a spoonful of
honey to all the poor, hoping thereby that their bees will multiply, and they
will always have plenty of honey.
Each farmer does his best that day to split and store up as much
firewood as possible, and to store up at least three days’ worth of fodder for
his livestock. They say that, if one has
enough to carry one through these holidays, then he will always have enough
throughout the coming year.
And the entire family gathers on the evening of Kūčios, the “gaspadorius” (head of the household) having
first bathed, washed his hair and dressed in his church-going clothes, and all
other family members having done the same after him.
The table is covered with a thick layer of straw, then spread with a
clean white cloth. The farmer brings in
all his horses’ halters and stows them under the table, at the end closest to
the stove, because they say that this helps to prevent sickness, accidents and
bad luck.
As the family, dressed in their Sunday clothes, seats themselves at
the table, the gaspadorius makes certain that any poor person who is nearby, or
any poor relation who lives in some small corner of the house, is invited to
join them at the table, because all, great or small, must celebrate Kūčios together.
If the “kisielius” (cranberry pudding) isn’t very presentable, and
cracks or separates on top, the “gaspadinė” (housewife) is disappointed,
and fears it may be a sign that the family fabric will “crack” or separate
during the coming year. But if the top
is smooth and nicely finished, everyone is pleased that all will stay the same.
The Kūčios meal is eaten in
silence; no one speaks unless the gaspadorius
addresses them. Everyone turns
around and tries to see his own shadow, afraid that it will have no head. If that happens, they know they are fated to
die in the coming year.
The gaspadorius and gaspadinė
share an apple, each eating one half, so that their household will be
successful during the coming year.
When the meal is finished and everyone leaves the table, then the
young girls and lads hurry outside and listen to hear from which direction the
dogs can be heard barking. Well, from
that direction, with the coming autumn,
the girls can expect their cavaliers to arrive. And the single young men will know where to
find the maiden of their choice.
Later that evening, they all go
outside and each grabs a stick from the woodpile Returning to the house, they match the length
of their sticks, one with the other, and those that match well, signify perhaps
a romantic pairing next year. And if one
is left out, with no matching partner at all,
the unlucky fellow feels as though fate has dealt him a blow, and is
left the butt of everyone’s jokes.
© English Translation - Gloria O’Brien
2004
This article was printed in Bridges Dec 2004