Harvest festival in Pikeliškės: loud, merrily and copiously!

Last saturday in Pikeliškės was loud, merry and copious. Residents of Vilnius region and their guests had fun together – everyone was greeted here by vilnius hospitality. Dożynki – annual harvest festival – is one of the most important events  in rural area of Vilnius region.

„Not only we thank farmers and God for crops, but also we celebrate our tradition and culture and hand it over to another generation. Songs and dances which are inseparable part of  this tradition represent our national, religious, regional and folk culture. I’m glad it continues. – said in interview for zw.lt mayor of Vilnius district Maria Rekść. She also emphasized that all nations (Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Belarussians and others) inhabiting this area have influence in its multiculturalism.

„We don’t divide ourselves between Poles and Lithuanians. We work together and present effects of our cooperation. I would like it to stay that way.” – said Maria Maciulewicz, starost of Pagirių commune.

Vilnius tradition always mesmerize guests from Poland, who come here in large groups. Some of them are friends with particular starosts of Vilnius district – they realise many projects together, primarily those about student exchanges. Delegation from Węgierska Górka in Beskids came to Vilnius region for the first time.

„In Beskids we don’t cultivate the dożynki tradition, because farms in area of Austrian Partition had 5 are acreage.” – explained deputy of the Węgierska Górka’s vogt, Marian Kurowski. He also said, that during his visit to Vilnius region, he discovered new regional delicacies and also local patriotism.

23 communes of Vilnius region have presented their goods on Harvest festival in Pikeliškės. It can be seen in video material on zw.lt website.

Source: http://zw.lt/wilno-wilenszczyzna/dozynki-w-pikieliszkach-glosno-wesolo-syta/

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