Kaziuko mugė
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Kaziuko mugė (English: Kaziukas Fair) - is a biggest annual Lithuanian folk crafts fair dating back to the beginning of the 17th century, then held at the two main market places of Vilnius, Lithuania, as well as in the city streets.
The fair is traditionally held on the Sunday nearest to St. Casimir's Day, March 4, the day Saint Casimir Jagiellon died, and is referred to as Kaziukio mugė in Lithuanian, literary - Little Casimir's Fair. Kaziukas is a diminutive of Casimir in the Lithuanian language. Today, Kaziukas fair is a festival of folk art and crafts, music and dance; it attracts tens of thousands of visitors and many craftsmen from all over the country as well as neighbouring states, such as Latvia, Russia and Poland.
[edit] Location
The pavillions of the fair occupy streets and squares in the Old Town of Vilnius. They start in the Gediminas Avenue, traverse the Cathedral Square then branches into Pilies Street, the major line going along B. Radvilaitės Street passing the St. Anne's Church and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Theotokos up to the so-called Tymas' Quarter on the left bank of Vilnia River near Užupis.
In the recent years the fair is also organised in Kaunas, the Laisvės alėja and Towh Hall Square.
[edit] Assortment
The assortment of the fair includes mostly hand made goods from local craftsmen, such as apparel, knitted clothes, footwear, toys, utensils, metal craftings, souvenirs, paintings, as well as foodstuffs, mainly rye bread, bagels, honey cookies, meat and diary products, natural honey, beer and kvas.
Traditional palms (called "verbos", hence Verbų sekmadienis) made in the vicinity of Vilnius of colorful dried flowers and herbs, that are taken to churches on Palm Sunday, are the fair's trademark. The shape of Vilnius' "palms" originated from a lily with which traditionally St. Casimir is portrayed.
Another typical product of the fair is called "muginukas", an often heart-shaped honey cookie, decorated with colored sugar flowers, zig-zags, dots and birds. Popular men's and women's names are written on the cookies. People buy and give them to selected loved ones. It is a custom to bring some back for anyone who had to remain home.
