YEREVAN. – Lithuania’s Ambassador to Armenia wishes all Armenian peace in the coming year.
“Let the peace be with you – in your country, in your families, in your hearts. I would also wish them belief that every effort they make for the sake of their country will bear fruit one day and make this country a happy place to live,” Mr. Erikas Petrikas said in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Asked about Christmas celebrations, Ambassador said he always tries to observe most of Lithuanian traditions despite having been posted to different countries.
“Firstly and most importantly, that family makes every effort to gather together, be it in Lithuania, in Belgium, UK or any other place we have served. If we cannot go home to Lithuania, we invite our parents to join us in the country of our temporary residence,” he said.
In Lithuania we traditionally celebrate Christmas Eve, which falls on the 24 of December. Everyone in the family makes an effort to come home, even if from far away, for the Christmas Eve supper called Kūčios. Before gathering to the table, one has make peace with his neighbours, forgive enemies and return debts.
For the Christmas Eve supper the table is dressed in a special way: a handful of fine hay is thinly spread on the top of the table and covered with white linen tablecloth. Hay reminds us that Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger of hay. Twelve meals for the supper are prepared. Dishes include fish, traditionally varieties of herring, beetroot soup, salads, mushrooms, boiled beans, potatoes, cranberry kissel, kučiūkai (bite-size biscuits) served with poppy seed “milk”, bread, honey, nuts, but not meat.
Supper starts when the first star appears in the sky, which symbolises the Star of Bethlehem leading the shepherds to baby Jesus. Before starting the meal family shares kalėdaitis, also called plotkelė. This is a very thin wafer, rectangular in shape, the composition of which is identical to the Host used during a Catholic mass.
Usually the oldest member or head of the family brakes kalėdaitis and passes it to other members of the family whishing them Happy Christmas and asking God that all family gathers together again next year. If a family member has died that year an empty plate is still placed on the table, but no cutlery is set, only a small candle on the plate is lit during the meal. It is believed that the spirit of a deceased member of the family equally participates at Kūčios.
After the supper food is left on the table overnight as it is believed that the spirits of deceased family members visit the home during the night. Family usually goes to midnight mass, called Bernelių mišios (Sheperds’ mass).
“We might not always have straw under the tablecloth, but there is always a very special spirit of waiting of this event, not talking about twelve dishes on the table, and we always start our supper with a prayer and with braking ofkalėdaitis. There have been times in different countries when it is not easy to get all necessary products for the meals, but when you count bread, water, salt and pepper you will always have no less that twelve dishes, especially knowing that Lithuanian women might become very creative. We do also go the midnight mass or morning mass depending on circumstances,” Mr. Petrikas said.
