Blogmas Day 10: A Lithuanian Christmas

Before I came to university and met people from all over the world I didn't realise that Christmas is celebrated in different ways in different countries. However my Lithuanian flatmate was telling me all about how she celebrates Christmas in Lithuania and I thought it would make a really interesting Blogmas post. This post is based upon what she told me and how my flatmate celebrates Christmas, this may not be the same for all Lithuanian's.

Picture's of some of the most
common herring dishes that
 my flatmate found online.

In Lithuania the main Christmas festivities take place on Christmas eve (a very strange concept for me as a Brit). Most of Christmas eve is spent cooking for the evening meal and this is also when the Christmas tree is put up. Then in the evening there is a big Christmas meal where twelve dishes are served including around three herring (type of fish) dishes which are the most important. There are no traditional herring dishes that must be eaten however, you are able to chose which you would like to cook. After the meal Santa Claus knocks on the door and delivers the presents (how cool is that?!?) although my flatmate admits that this tradition is mainly for younger children. She also said that many Lithuanian's are now adopting the British tradition of putting their Christmas presents under the tree instead. And so all of the Christmas presents are opened on Christmas eve. This is also when you go to church although this can happen on Christmas day instead. Christmas day itself is mainly reserved for seeing extended family including grandparents, aunties and uncles etc and exchanging gifts with them. My flatmate's family have also started seeing close friends on the evening of Christmas too.

Christmas Wishes,

Maya x

Little Miss Organisation