- Barkha
A Lithuanian Christmas
If you know anything about me, you''ll know by now that that Lithuania is one of my favourite countries in the world; that I'm fascinated by its people, history, culture and cuisine. Last year, I was extremely lucky to have been invited into my boyfriend's beautiful household to celebrate Christmas together. This year, I couldn't be there, so I'm making up for it.... by writing about it. Christmas in Lithuania is something special, and I hope I can convince you to consider Lithuania, or Vilnius, for a getaway.
First, I should say that the first time I encountered snow was at the age of 18. Snow is magical to a Mauritian (although when it gets cold, we quickly scamper back to the safety of the radiator...)
Second, Vilnius is BEAUTIFUL. I've made no secret of this to anyone I've spoken to. Elegant architecture, beautiful colours, clean artsy streets especially in the old town... my heart is sold.
In the cold winter light, with a sprinkling of snow, Vilnius looked even more magical, like a snow queen adorned with icy jewels and soft powder...
It was a pleasure to meet friends old and new. Here in Lithuania, Christmas is truly a time for family and friends. The vibe is completely different. If Vilnius in summer is agog with the malty scent of Lithuania's beers, the buzz of pretty girls in sundresses heading to summer gigs and the frondescence of Lithuania's forests and fields in ablaze with greenery, winter is a different sort of beauty.
The nostalgic, almost Alpine scent of pine and wood-fire suffuses the peaceful atmosphere of Vilnius. In Cathedral Square in the middle of the Old Town, a fairy-tale Christmas tree twinkles.
It looks like something straight out of a Dickensian Christmas story. My favourite part is wandering down the winding streets. On Pilies Gatve, you can stop by Dvaras, a folk restaurant, to try some acorn coffee. You can go down in the beautifully decorated basement or you can sit by the window and watch people. It's one of my favourite places in Vilnius.
Rich ochre mud walls painted with folk designs lend a very cosy and special feel to this place. And oak coffee is one of my favourite things.
Cepelinai (named after the shape of zeppelins) are made with potato and a must try if you're in Lithuania!
If you're still not full, I suggest you head to AJ Šokoladinė, the chocolate shop on Pilies Gatve, and get a dessert fix. We did a classic "eyes bigger than stomach" thing and ordered two cups of rich chocolate and a chocolate-praline cake. Rich, decadent, made to perfection. We tried dipping the cake in the chocolate. It was heaven. I died.
With warm tummies and frozen fingers, we rushed home, so we could linger besides a crackling wood-fed fire with a hot tea.
Lithuania's main Christmas celebration is on the 24th December - "Kūčios" - Christmas eve dinner. As per tradition, (at least) twelve (vegan) meals are prepared, and family members have to have a bite of each of the 12 meals (or risk going hungry during the year!). Of course, preps start the day before and it's a very nice feeling - getting everything ready, and finally sitting down, paying homage to the departed loved ones, and asking the universe to give us peace this Christmas.
Of course, the tree is decked with decorations - including traditional ones such as the typical Lithuanian straw stars or the delicate glass baubles made in the Soviet era.
When Christmas dawns, it truly is magical. You eat chocolate till you burst under the twinkling tree - or make inroads into grandpa's homemade cherry brew or risk a bite of the gingerbread cookies that stayed in the oven too long...
If you're in Lithuania, one good way of beating post-Christmas lethargy (and of shedding a few calories) is to go to Druskininkai, a spa town about 1.5 hours away from Vilnius. My friend Neri invited me over and we had a walk around the beautiful town.
A brisk walk in the crisp, fresh air around the still lake is just what you need after indulging in one chocolate too many!
Saunas are very popular in Lithuania, and you can spot a sauna-barrel by the lake - people generally barrel straight down into the cold water after baking gently in the sauna.
I was introduced to saunas in Lithuania. I don't think I get why people like to bake themselves then freeze themselves then bake themselves again, but I have to say that I love the smell of resin and the wood and the smoky scent of vantas - twigs of birch that are dried over the summer and then used to beat (gently) people in saunas to increase blood circulation.
Druskininaki hosts many "sanatoriums" - places where people go to get better. It was a favourite spot for the Soviets, when Lithuania was still annexed to the USSR (the Belarussian border is mere metres away!). If you pop into the sanatoriums you can try some of the (highly) mineral water that's available. It's meant to be very healthy...but I felt I was drinking metal.
So this was my Christmas last year, full of love, magic and peace. I hope everyone's Christmas has been magical - and I hope more people give Lithuania a go and fall in love with it as I did!
