Zapusty’s frenzy

Zapusty – traditional event in Vilnius region that started so many years ago. Although in this year “zapusty” in Lithuania starts on February 12, on the nearest weekend  in the whole Vilnius there will be different parties with dressed up people.

Today, February 8, the party will take place in the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius. Organizers has prepared many attractions – there will be music on live, competitions, surprises and of course there will be lots of traditional dishes. At the end “Marzanna” will be fired.

On Saturday, February 9, Dukszty in Vilnius region would like to invite all people to the „zapusty” on name „Telewizja zapustowa”. It starts at 12. There will be a show of Wincuk Bałbatunszczyk from Pustaszyszek. Konopiowy, Słoninowy and many others carnival characters: fortune tellers, witches, bears and billy- goats will help to entertain the public.

On Sunday, February 10, all events will take place in Solecznicki and Trocki region. In the House of Culture in Soleczniki there  will be workshops about how to make a mask, it starts at 1 pm. At 3 pm there is going to be the concert of a folk teams “Solczanie” and „Sławianoczka”-the band from Belorussia.

In Troki there will be colourful promenade from the House of Culture to the town hall square. Near the oratory of Jan Niepomucen there are going to be the concerts of Polish, Lithuanian and Russians folk bands: “Rudziszczanie”, “Ratilai”, “Klevynė” and vocal trio from Połuknia. The audience will watch the fight between  Konopiowy and Słoninowy as well as Marzanna’s drowning. They also can take part in the competition of eating bliny (a traditional dish of Lithuania), tugging of war and in the relay-race. There will be also a competition for the most original mask.

There cannot be Lithuanian „zapusty” without the two characters: Konopiowy and Słoninowy. The first one symbolizes the time of Lent, the other one – the time of when it is allowed to eat meat. They are opponents and fight against themselves. Konopiowy is always a winner because in this time Lent usually starts and  people cannot eat meat till Easter.

On Tuesday, according to the tradition, Marzanna – effigy of women on a big stick, made of straw who symbolizes the winter, illnesses and all evil – is fired. It is a tradition of saying goodbye to the winter and welcoming the spring.

According to the believes on “zapusty” people have to eat and drink a lot even twelve times a day – so that during the whole year they will be strong and not hungry. The dishes on a table must be fatty: bacon, lard and some traditional dishes: kołduny, cepeliny and bliny. There cannot be run out of these dishes either to the householders or to the dressed up guests so people have to prepare much of them.

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/zapustow-szal

Tłumaczenie Diana Omiljaniuk w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Diana Omiljaniuk the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.