National symbols of Lithuania

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National symbols of Lithuania are the symbols that are used in Lithuania and abroad to represent the country, its people, culture, and nature. These symbols are seen in official capacities, such as flags, coats of arms, postage stamps, and currency, and in URLs. They appear less formally as recurring themes in literature, art and folk art, heraldry, monuments, clothing, personal decoration, and as the names of parks, bridges, streets, and clubs. The less formal manifestations may be classified as national emblems.

Some of the symbols are more heavily freighted with meaning than others. For instance, during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, the Lithuanian flag and the national anthem were replaced; the Lithuanian Coat of Arms was not shown in official capacities. On the other hand, in keeping with the Soviet policy of encouraging what were seen as harmless expressions of ethnic identity, Lithuanian national costumes were often featured on postal stamps and elsewhere.

While the European Union has debated a ban on the display of the swastika, Lithuania, along with other countries that were under Soviet domination, has proposed that the hammer and sickle also be banned.

1 Official symbols
- 1.1 Flag
- 1.2 Coat of arms
2 Founding fathers
3 Christian symbols
- 3.1 Crosses
- 3.2 Jesus and saints
4 National dress
5 Birds and animals
6 Trees and plants
7 Other symbols
8 References
9 External Links

[edit] Official symbols

[edit] Flag

The Flag of Lithuania

Main article: Flag of Lithuania

The flag was officially designated in 1918, and was re-instituted in 1988. Yellow represents the sun, light, and goodness, green symbolizes the beauty of nature, freedom, and hope, and red stands for the land, courage, and the blood spilled for Lithuania. The colors of the flag also appear in clothing, URLs, and team uniforms.

Lithuanian law states that the flag should be hoisted on historical holidays such as February 16 (marking the re-establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1918), March 11 (commemorating the re-establishment of Lithuania's independence in 1990), July 6 (marking the coronation of Mindaugas as King of Lithuania), July 15 (marking the Battle of Grunwald), October 25 (Constitution Day), and near historically significant buildings such as the Presidential Palace.

[edit] Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Lithuania

Main article: Coat of arms of Lithuania

The state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania is Vytis (the White Knight). The heraldic shield features a red field with an armoured knight on a white horse holding a silver sword aloft in his right hand.

The charging knight is known to have been first used as the state emblem in 1366 on the seal of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. The earliest coins featuring Vytis date from the second half of the 14th century. Vytis is engraved on all current Lithuanian coins, is displayed on many Lithuanian postage stamps and official documents, and is part of the URL of official Lithuanian websites.

The US NFL player Joe Jurevicius bears a Vytis prominently tattoed on his arm as a symbol of his Lithuanian ancestry.

[edit] Founding fathers

Gediminas and Mindaugas are generally regarded as the founding fathers of Lithuania. Gediminas was said to have had a dream which led to the founding of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania; in this dream, an iron wolf howled all night near the site of the present-day Gediminas Tower. A seer interpreted this as meaning that a great city should be built there. "What is destined for the ruler and the state of Lithuania, let it be: the iron wolf means a castle and a town which will be established by the ruler on this site. The town will be the capital of the Lithuanian lands and the dwelling of rulers and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world". Mindaugas was the first king of Lithuania, crowned in 1253.

The Columns of Gediminas were often drawn on walls and fences as protest against the Soviet occupation. Gediminas appears as the name of many streets, most notably Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius. Mindaugas and Gediminas are popular first names for men in Lithuania.

Columns of Gediminas

Gediminas

The Tower of Gediminas in Vilnius

[edit] Christian symbols

[edit] Crosses

In addition to its formal use in churches, the cross in Lithuania long ago became a frequent subject of folk art. Lietuvos Kryzius is a stylized folk art cross put up at crossroads, in cemeteries, near houses, and as votive offerings in churches. The artists are known as kryždirbiai. The crosses combine elements of architecture, sculpture, blacksmith art, and painting. They often feature organic flourishes, motifs of the sun, birds, and the tree of life. To plead for grace or to express gratitude, the crosses are built as memorials to the dead or as the signs of spiritual protection at certain places.

A distinctive two-barred cross - the Vytis Cross - appears on the shield held by the knight in Lithuania's coat of arms. It is usually associated with the Jogaila family. This cross is displayed on Lithuanian aircraft. The Order of the Cross of Vytis is a Lithuanian Presidential Award conferred on those who have defended Lithuania’s freedom and independence.

The Lithuanian Hill of Crosses is a pilgrimage site that contains a probably uncountable number of crosses of all sizes.

Lithuanian folk cross

Crosses in Žemaitija, by M.K. Čiurlionis

Detail of the Hill of Crosses

Award of the Cross of Vytis

[edit] Jesus and saints

Wooden carvings of Rūpintojėlis, "The Sorrowful Jesus," are often seen at crossroads and in cemeteries. He always rests his head on his right arm, his left hand rests on his knee, a crown of thorns on his head shows drops of blood, and his face is full of sorrow.

The pose may represent Jesus' anticipation of his crucifixion, after his scourging and crowning with thorns. It is also said to depict Jesus after the resurrection and before his ascension. One legend has it that Jesus traveled throughout the world wearing his crown of thorns; during his journeys, he sometimes sat on stones near the road and wept.

The patron saint of Lithuania and Poland is Saint Casimir, who is held to have a special affinity for young people; he died in his twenties. His image often appears in stained glass in Lithuanian churches, often holding a lily. Saint Casimir's Day is celebrated on March 4th. He was said to have appeared as an apparition in 1518 at the Dauguva River during a battle with the Russian Army, encouraging the Lithuanians.

After his death, his relics in Vilnius became a frequent destination of pilgrims; St. Casimir's Fair developed around these pilgrimages, became an annual event, and is still held today.

Other saints who may be seen in coats of arms and elsewhere include Saint George and Saint Christopher.

Rūpintojėlis at a gravesite

Saint Casimir

Vilnius COA, with Saint Christopher

Joniškis COA, with Saint George

[edit] National dress

Lithuania folk costumes make use of linen weavings in geometric patterns. The full costume is worn only on special occasions, but the charactistic fabrics appear in belts, ties, scarves, and other accessories worn on national holidays.

[edit] Birds and animals

The stork (gandras) is usually felt to be the national bird of Lithuania. Lithuanians believe that storks bring harmony to the families on whose property they nest; they have also kept up the tradition of telling their children that storks bring babies. Stork Day is celebrated on March 25 with various archaic rituals: gifts for children, attributed to the storks, such as fruits, chocolates, pencils, and dyed eggs, are hung on tree branches and fences; snakes are caught, killed and buried under the doorstep; straw fires are lit.

Other birds of note are the cuckoo (gegužis) - its call is said to sweep away the last traces of winter, and the month of May (gegužės mėnesis) is named for this bird; the dove (balandis), is commemorated in the month of April (balandžio mėnesis).

Lithuania's special animals include the wolf (vilkas) and the bear (lokys). According to a popular legend, an iron wolf in Gediminas' dream encouraged the Grand Duke to establish Vilnius and make the city his capital. The Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade ( motorizuotoji pėstininkų brigada 'Geležinis vilkas') is now the core unit of the Lithuanian Army. The bear is an ancient symbol of Samogitia, one of the regions of Lithuania, and appears in the coat of arms of Siauliai district as well. Elks are shown in the Lazdijai district municipality coat of arms.

The white stork

The Coat of Arms of Samogitia

The Coat of Arms of Siauliai District

The Coat of Arms of Lazdijai

[edit] Trees and plants

The national plant is rue, a symbol of maidenhood. A bride traditionally wears a little crown made of rue. During the wedding the crown is burned, symbolizing the loss of careless childhood and entrance into the world of adulthood.

Trees of special significance include oak (ažuolas), birch (beržas), linden (liepa), and spruce (eglė). The month of June is, in Lithuanian, "birch" (birželio menesis), and the month of July is "linden" (liepos menesis).

[edit] Other symbols

Amber, nicknamed "Lithuanian gold", has been harvested from the Baltic Sea since prehistoric times. A museum in Palanga, near the seashore, displays a wealth of amber artifacts. Most women in Lithuania possess some item of amber jewelry.

Basketball, Lithuanian’s most popular sport, could be also considered a national symbol. During the 1980s basketball was an important outlet of national feelings, particularly when the national team, BC Žalgiris, played against PBC CSKA Moscow in the finals of the Soviet Union league. The Lithuanian basketball medals in the 1992 Olympic Games encouraged this symbolism. The 1992 and 1996 basketball teams, which were partially sponsored by the Grateful Dead, sported red, yellow, and green tie-died T-shirts.