With just 10 weekends left until Christmas (I know, right?), store shelves across Lithuania are already filling with festive decorations, and holiday enthusiasts are eager to know when Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda will light their main Christmas trees. The wait won’t be long – by the end of November, the illuminated evergreens will officially mark the start of the holiday season.
It has become a tradition for Kaunas to be the first city to light its Christmas tree, signalling the beginning of holiday celebrations nationwide. This year will be no exception.
In early October, the Kaunas City Municipality announced that although reconstruction of the Town Hall Square will not be completed before the festive season begins, the Christmas spirit will once again return to the Old Town. The tree in the square is set to be lit on November 22.
“As in previous years, we would like to keep the theme and design of the Christmas tree a surprise for a while longer,” said Agnė Augonė, head of the Kaunas Municipality’s Culture Department, in a statement to LRT.lt.
“But we can say that this year’s tree will once again be real and natural, breathing the spirit of Christmas. It will feature geometrically defined shapes, artistic expression and elegance, and some unexpected decorating solutions.”
In the capital, Vilnius’ main Christmas tree will shine on the last Saturday of autumn, November 29. Details about the tree – often referred to as the nation’s main evergreen – and the festivities of the much-anticipated “Christmas in the Capital” festival will be announced closer to the lighting event.
“So far, we can reveal only that this year, the capital will again be adorned with a real tree, and the lighting ceremony will be broadcast live on LRT,” said Vilnius Municipality spokesperson Gabrielius Grubinskas.
That same day, November 29, the port city of Klaipėda will also light its Christmas tree, said Živilė Putnienė, a representative of the public enterprise Klaipėdos šventės. For the tenth consecutive year, Klaipėda will be decorated with a real, community-donated tree.
However, the search for the city’s centrepiece is still underway. Until the end of October, Klaipėda residents can submit their proposals for a tree to the organisers. A special committee will then select the most suitable one to become the city’s official Christmas tree. Details about its decorations will remain secret until closer to the final weekend of November.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
