MetaChat - Ask Mecha: Estonia and Lithuania around Christmas/New Year?

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30 November 2007

Ask Mecha: Estonia and Lithuania around Christmas/New Year? What started here, continued: it looks like I'll be staying closer to Riga than I thought. Advice & suggestions appreciated!→[More:]

Just a quick more inside, actually:

- December 23-January 5

- Starting and ending in Riga, Latvia; heading overland north or south to one of the other Baltic capitals (Tallinn/Vilnius), then flying to the other and heading back to Riga from there, I think.

- Where else other than Tallinn and Vilnius? I'm thinking about Tartu and Lahemaa National Park in Estonia, and Trakai in Lithuania. Should I try to get to the Curonian Spit or Saaremaa if I won't have a car?

- No Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, or Belarus this time...I'd rather use the money that I'd have to spend on a Russian/Belorussian visa on actually seeing stuff.

Thanks!

post by: mdonley at: 13:10 | 5 comments

I have no suggestions, because I've never been to Lithuania, but my family is Lithuanian and one of my favorite things was going to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago every year at Christmastime, because they had Christmas trees decorated with the traditional ornaments of various countries, and the Lithuanian tree had gorgeous straw ornaments that looked to me like lace made out of snow, and I was always so proud that "my people" made such pretty things.

So, uh, look for those. :-)

posted by occhiblu 30 November | 13:21

Heh. Further googling reveals the tradition actually kinda started in Chicago:

The unique straw ornaments, so typical of Lithuanian Christmas trees today, have an interesting origin. Juze Dauzvardis, the wife of Petras Daužvardis, Consul General of Lithuania in Chicago (1937-?), was asked to decorate a Christmas tree with Lithuanian ornaments as part of an international Christmas tree exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Wanting to distinguish the Lithuanian tree from all others, she with the help of Sisters of St. Casimir came up with the idea to use ornaments made of straw. Ornaments made of wheat or rye straw were used as house decorations by Lithuanian farmers during weddings and other festive occasions. Mrs. Dauzvardis decided to make her Christmas tree ornaments from white paper drinking straws and with the Sisters came up with a variety of designs: stars, snowflakes, chains, bird cages, bell towers, and other geometric patterns. The Lithuanian Christmas tree with its distinctive white ornaments became a great hit at the exhibition and straw Christmas tree ornaments became a Lithuanian tradition.

That's rather neat.

I'll stop blathering on about Chicago now. Mostly I'm just jealous of your trip!

posted by occhiblu 30 November | 13:27

Lahemaa is awesome. I've got pictures on my Flickr stream if you want to check them out. But I was there in the summer, and I can imagine that it would be bitter cold in the winter.

Also, I totally loved Tallinn and would be delighted to go there again.

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by matildaben 30 November | 13:42

occhiblu: afaik, the tradition of straw ornaments is actually quite a bit older than the Christmas tree tradition.

matildaben: love the pictures.

Now, returning to our regular programming, then Tallinn might be chock full of tourists around New Year, meaning that it could be difficult finding accommodation there. It should be easier to get to Saaremaa by bus than it is by car, as people with cars sometimes have to wait for several hours to get on a ferry. What else... Well, if you have anything more specific in mind, just ask.

posted by Daniel Charms 30 November | 17:58

I really enjoyed Trakai, and it's a very easy bus ride from Vilnius, but don't go on a Monday since I think the island castle will be closed.

posted by cmonkey 01 December | 00:23

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