Christmas preparations start early this year, with Kaunas ahead of other Lithuanian cities.
Kaunas has already installed a Christmas tree on Vienybės Square. This year, it is a living tree donated to the city by a local resident.
The harsh sound of the saw, the sawdust crashing sideways, and the calmness of the owner as he tries to film the cutting of the silver spruce that has been growing in his backyard for 37 years. The tree, donated by Kaunas residents, will become the city's main Christmas tree.
“It is a blessing to give,” says Aleksandras Petrovas from whose backyard comes the 37-year-old tree. “Children will be happy, we’ve been looking at plastic trees for 15 years.”
Kaunas municipality received several offers to give a fir tree for the city’s main square. A commission was evaluating both the technical feasibility of cutting down the proposed trees and their beauty.
“To be as regular as possible, as neat as possible, of the right height, one requirement was that it be at least 16 metres,” says Nerijus Chmieliauskas, manager of Adam Decolight.
This year, the city’s main Christmas tree will stand on Vienybės Square rather than next to the Town Hall due to ongoing renovation works.
The tree was brought to the site with a police escort. The spruce is to be decorated with almost 40,000 lights and handmade decorations.
“We tried to adapt to the environment of Vienybės Square, to its architecture and vegetation, to echo some of its elements,” says Chmieliauskas.
Around 80,000 euros was allocated for Kaunas’ main Christmas tree, which is half of last year’s figure. However, with the decision to decorate more areas of the city, the total Christmas budget will remain similar.
“So far we have a budget of over 200,000 euros, in previous years, we will try to save,” says Agnė Augonė, head of Kaunas Municipality’s Culture Department.
Vilnius is also beginning to roll out its Christmas decorations. An ice skating rink is being set up in the Town Hall Square.
The main Christmas tree in the capital is not yet revealed. What is known so far that it will cost around 120,000 euros, which is 30,000 more than last year. There will also be more decorations across the city.
“Ice skating is part of the programme, we have a Christmas train as one of the traditions, and the Christmas tradition of the neighbours, which started last year, will continue,” says Vlnius Vice-Mayor Simona Bieliūnė.
While Vilnius usually installs impressive cone-shaped artificial decorations, Lithuania’s third city Klaipėda traditionally prefers live Christmas trees. This year, it plans to spend over 200,000 euros on decorating the city and the tree.
Panevėžys and Šiauliai will spend 130,000 and 38,000 euros, respectively.
Klaipėda, which traditionally decorates a live Christmas tree, is planning to spend over 200,000 euros on Christmas decorations for the city and the tree. Panevėžys and Šiauliai will spend 130 and 38 thousand euros respectively.
Of Lithuania’s major cities, Alytus will have the most frugal Christmas season, planning to repurpose last year’s decorations and only spend around 25,000 euros on a tree.
“Our municipality has bought a framework and we will use the framework again, so that there is no debate about whether the tree is beautiful, ugly, natural, with overgrown branches or not,” says Alytus Mayor Nerijus Cesiulis. “Everyone has their opinion so we will do the classic, standard tree and will use the same tree for many years.”
Kaunas will be the first city to light its tree, on November 23. Vilnius will follow suit on November 29. Klaipėda will have its tree lighting ceremony on November 30.
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