EASTER:

PREPARATIONS FOR EASTER USUALLY BEGAN ON HOLY THURSDAY AND LASTED UP
TILL EASTER SUNDAY MORNING. THERE WAS CLEANING TO DO, BAKING,
COOKING, AND EGGS TO COLOR.
PEOPLE WERE REQUIRED TO GO TO MASS ON THURSDAY,
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. ON SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT THEY WERE ALSO
REQUIRED TO COME.
THE BAKING & COOKING STARTED OFF WITH "BABKA" - A POLISH KIND OF
BREAD; SWEET, WITH RAISINS. THIS WAS USUALLY EATEN WITH HONEY.
THERE WAS GOOSE, FISH, VEGETABLES - ALL KINDS OF FOOD IN HUGE
AMOUNTS. BUT WHAT EVERYONE ENJOYED MOST, WAS THE COLORING OF THE
EGGS.
BECAUSE LITHUANIANS ARE SO ARTISTIC, THEIR ART COMES OUT IN A SMALL
WAY ON THESE EGGS. THE PROCESS IS VERY SIMPLE: YOU TAKE A WAX
CANDLE, A PIN WITH A HEAD, AND A CLEAN, DRY, HARD-BOILED EGG. YOU
DIP THE PIN HEAD INTO THE MELTING WAX AND QUICKLY STROKE IT ONTO THE
EGG. WHEREVER THE WAX TOUCHES THE EGG, THE COLOR WILL NOT COVER IT
THERE. THERE ARE MANY MANY VARIOUS DESIGNS THAT YOU CAN CREATE
WITH THIS TYPE OF COLORING. AFTER THE WAX ON THE EGG IS DRY, YOU
DROP IT INTO COLD COLORS.
FOR A TWO COLOR, DUO-DESIGN EGG, IT IS JUST AS SIMPLE. THE EGG IS
WHITE FROM THE BEGINNING. YOU DRAW A DESIGN ON IT & DROP IT INTO
GREEN. YOU TAKE IT, PAT IT DRY VERY GENTLY AND THEN PROCEED WITH
ANOTHER DESIGN. YOU SIMPLY STROKE THE WAX ONTO THE GREEN PART OF THE
EGG & DROP IT INTO BLUE. LET'S SAY YOU KEEP IT IN FOR ONLY A FEW
MINUTES AND WHEN YOU TAKE IT: YOU HAVE A WHITE, GREEN & AQUA EGG.
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY OF COLORING EGGS, BUT MORE DIFFICULT. IT IS
HARDLY USED AT ALL TODAY, MY PARENTS NEVER USED IT, SO IT'S RATHER
HARD TO EXPLAIN. THE METHOD IS CARVING THE DESIGN RIGHT OUT ONTO THE
EGG. BUT SINCE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A MOST INFORMATIVE SOURCE
FOR THIS METHOD, THIS IS ALL I CAN SAY 'BOUT ( ABOUT ) IT.
EASTER MORNING, OR SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT, THE CHURCH IS DARK, WITH
ONLY ONE DIM LIGHT IN THE BACK OF THE CHURCH. AT MIDNIGHT, THE
CANDLES ARE LIT, THE PEOPLE BEGIN TO SING AS THE PRIEST TAKES THE
MONSTRANCE AROUND THE CHURCH SEVERAL TIMES IN A PROCESSION. IN FRONT
OF THE PRIEST, THERE ARE SEVERAL GIRLS THROWING ROSE PETALS AT HIS
FEET. AFTER THE PROCESSION IS FINISHED, HE SAYS A SHORT PRAYER FOR
EVERYONE, BLESSES THE PEOPLE WITH HOLY WATER AND MASS BEGINS.
ON EASTER IN THE AFTERNOON, THE CHILDREN GET TOGETHER AND CHALLENGE
EACH OTHER TO AN "EGG-CONTEST". THIS REALLY CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS,
BUT THE OBJECTIVE IS THE SAME: TRYING TO CRACK THE OTHER EGG. THE
FIRST PART WOULD BE WHERE THE CHALLENGED EGG WAS BEING HELD WITH THE
POINTED NOSE UP, AND THE CHALLENGER WOULD ATTEMPT TO CRACK IT. IF
THE CHALLENGER'S EGG CRACKED, HE WAS THE LOSER. BUT IF THE
CHALLENGED EGG WON, HE COULD HAVE A SECOND TRY TO SEE HOW FAR HIS EGG
WOULD ROLL & IF HE CAN CRACK HIS OPPONENT'S EGG THIS WAY. THE
ROLLING WAS USUALLY HELD ON A GRASSY PIECE OF LAND. THERE WOULD BE A
SLANTED BOARD, SIMILAR TO A SLIDE AND THE EGGS WOULD BE ROLLED FROM
THIS. IF THE CHALLENGER'S EGG DEVELOPED A SECOND CRACK FROM HIS
OPPONENT, HE WAS OUT.
THE KIDS IN LITHUANIA DIDN'T RECEIVE EASTER BASKETS. THEY RECEIVED
EGGS, BUT HAD TO HUNT ALL OVER THE FARM FOR THEM. AND TO SOME LUCKY
ONES, IT BROUGHT THEM THE SATISFACTION OF HAVING THE STRONGEST EGG IN
THE VILLAGE.

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): FOOD CUSTOM ; GAME ; MUSIC ; WATER

Date learned: 03-26-1972