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(A Folklore Sketch)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2018
For the people in Lithuania, Christmas is not just one day, it is a succession of three days of festivity in which, however, Christmas Eve stands out as the most significant part.
Although Lithuania is not very large in area, we find numerous variations of customs and superstitions connected with Christmas Eve. What is said of one place, may not be true of another one. Various sources have contributed to the treasure of Lithuanian folklore and, since those forces have not been equally spread over the country, we find a great variety of popular beliefs and superstitious practices. About ninety-two percent of the population of Lithuania are Christians, the rest being mostly of the Hebrew faith. Of the Christian population of Lithuania, ninety-seven percent celebrate Christmas Eve at the same time as we do.
1 This sketch is based on observations made by the writer during his stay in Lithuania (from 1921 to 1930) and supplemented from material published in the folklore journal, Mŭsų Tautosaka, I (Kaunas, 1930), pp. 124-153, by J. Balys in an article, “Kalėdų papro-čiai ir butai.”