There is no way the pandemics will stop us from celebrating Christmas – differently, yes, in small groups, yes, but the festive spirit is behind the corner, and Kaunas is getting ready to bring smoome light into the darkness. After all, the patron saint of our city is Saint Nicholas, the predecessor of Santa Claus.
The tree lighting ceremony and a grand concert in the Town Hall Square is one of the most anticipated events in Kaunas – this year, however, we will all stay at home and watch a live broadcast of performances by some of the best-known Lithuanian musicians. It’s still kind of a secret, but we do that, together with the revelation of the main Christmas tree, fireworks will lit up the sky in six different areas of Kaunas.
Time to talk about the tree itself – Kaunas has been surprising itself and the world for years now; each season, a new unique piece of art from the studio of Jolanta Šmidtienė would pop up in the Town Hall square. Here are some of the earlier editions…
The slogan for the festive season this year is “Sweet, sweet Christmas in Kaunas“. Šmidtienė got her inspiration from a meringue she was eating – she got particularly interested in the sweet’s texture – and is now busy at her workshop creating the tree from an environmentally friendly material called isolon. She and her team are thinking sustainably and are also using carcasses, details and other materials from previous years.
A Christmas market around the tree is also an important tradition – due to safety regulations; however, this year it’s going online and will offer various workshops and educations.
Photos by Kaunas City Municipality