Užgavėnės: Lithuanian Carnival

What Is Užgavėnės and When Is It Celebrated?

In 2027 Užgavėnės falls on Tuesday, February 9. The following day, February 10, is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent in the Lithuanian liturgical calendar. This is the calendar date of the festival; museums and communities may hold events on other days, so check the organisers’ programmes.

Užgavėnės is a feast of waiting for spring and sending off winter. It is celebrated on the Tuesday before Lent, nearly seven weeks before Easter, so the date changes every year. VLE notes that Lithuanians once called Užgavėnės the feast of Ragutis (ragučio šventė) and celebrated it at the spring equinox; after Christianization the timing was adjusted to the church calendar and falls between February 3 and March 9.

Užgavėnės is not a state holiday, but it is one of the most popular ethnocultural days. Its essence is loud, joyful driving out of winter and symbolic awakening of spring. It is the last rich day before the quieter Lenten period.

What Does Morė Mean and Why Is She Burned?

Morė is a straw doll, often dressed in women's clothing and carried or wheeled during the feast. She embodies winter, cold, evil, and the misfortunes of the past year.

The climax of Užgavėnės is burning Morė in the bonfire. This symbolizes the end of winter and the sending away of evil. Once Morė burns, the way opens for spring, light, and a new natural cycle.

The effigy was not called Morė everywhere. The Ethnic Culture Care Council records Morė and Kotrė in Samogitia, and Gavėnas or Čiūčela in Aukštaitija; the latter could be drowned, driven away or thrown into a snowdrift. Burning Morė is therefore one prominent regional form rather than the only version of the custom.

Who Are Lašininis and Kanapinis?

Lašininis and Kanapinis are the two main Užgavėnės figures. Lašininis is fat, rich, and heavy, standing for winter and abundant food. Kanapinis is lean and stands for spring and the coming fast.

During the feast they stage a fight. Kanapinis traditionally wins, meaning spring defeats winter. The playful duel explains the meaning of Užgavėnės simply: the end of the old rich time and the beginning of a new cycle.

Why Are Masks Worn?

Masks and disguise are the clearest feature of Užgavėnės. Costumed visitors become goats, witches, Death, devils, bears, or Roma figures. Wooden masks, especially in Samogitia, were considered able to frighten away evil spirits and winter darkness.

Masked guests visit homes, joke, and ask for food. Hosts treated them with pancakes, doughnuts, and bacon, because receiving guests was tied to luck and good harvest. The custom is related to Christmas kaledojimas.

Why Are Pancakes Fried?

Pancakes are the central Užgavėnės food. Their round shape and golden color recall the sun, warmth, and returning light, making them both food and spring symbol.

People believed that the more pancakes were eaten on Užgavėnės, the richer and more fertile the coming year would be. Today pancakes are the simplest way to mark the feast at home, even without attending a large event.

Celebrating Užgavėnės Today

Užgavėnės can be celebrated at a large event or at home. Museums and city squares hold mask processions, Lašininis and Kanapinis fights, Morė burnings, fairs, and folklore programs. They are good places to see the living mask tradition.

At home, make pancakes, create a mask, sing, and drive out winter loudly with children. The key is the mood of the feast: humorous noise, movement, and the desire to hurry spring.