LITHUANIA'S NEW YEARS TRADITIONS

[Audio] Lithuania's new years traditions. A back of a person wearing a jacket and helmet surrounded by coloured lights.

[Audio] FIRST TRADITION Since ancient times in Lithuania, young people, welcoming the New Year, organize costume walks. The necessary acting characters are the following: first the Old Year - bent, tired, dressed in dirty clothes and a handsome young man with a book in his hand - the New Year. The escort of the two is a bear, a crane, a goat, a prankster devil, sometimes gypsies, a black gilt with a wooden sword. Such a group knocks on every door in the village. When they are allowed inside, they greet the housemates and wish them a good year ahead. Of course, they are also fed for this..

[Audio] Second tradition One of the Lithuanian New Year's Eve traditions is to burn a bundle of straw and dance, sing around that. in this way we say goodbye to the passing year..

[Audio] Third tradition Since ancient times in Lithuania, it has been very popular for dancers to dance with fireballs above their heads. This tradition is believed to have originated from a Christian ritual to cleanse oneself of evil spirits and prepare for the new year..

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