VILNIUS - Although snow is still a significant part of the scenery, spring is on the horizon. The new season will bring a range of holidays, fairs and celebrations. One of them is Kaziuko muge (Kaziukas Fair), annual folk arts and crafts fair.
The fair has been held in Vilnius since 1602, when the pope canonized Polish-Lithuanian prince Casimir Jagiellon. It started as religious co-mmemoration processions, but transformed into the fair soon after. It remains to this day a celebration dedicated to St. Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania. The fair takes place every year on St. Casimir's Day, March 4, or the nearest weekend.
It is common that the fair turns into a weekend-long celebration in Vilnius and other cities around Lithuania and Poland 's where it is known as Kaziuk Wilenski (Vilnius' Kaziukas). It is also celebrated in the Belarusian city of Hrodno, where St Casimir died. He is buried in the Vilnius Cathedral, where theatrical processions used to end.
Kaziuko muge is one of the largest fairs in the region and attracts thousands of people who pursue the goods brought from all over the country and neighboring Poland, Latvia and Russia. Additionally, the fair also features dancing and music events that have been an inseparable part of the fair since it was started.
Pavilions for the fair pop up all over the place, occupying the streets and squares of Vilnius' Old Town. Gediminas Avenue is closed for traffic on event days, when a plethora of people and pavilions fill the avenue. The fair stretches onto Cathedral Square and Pilies Street. It runs along narrow side streets until it reaches St. Anne's Church and the Orthodox Cathedral of Theotokos, and it crosses the bridges leading to the Uzupis Republic, Vilnius' equivalent of Montmartre.
While strolling the streets, people barter with craftsmen to get the best deals on hand-made goods. The stands sell all kinds of things, including apparel, toys, utensils and paintings, among the countless other things one never imagined could exist. The hungry will not be disappointed, as food is a vital part of the fair. Products like honey cookies, which are most associated with Kaziuko muge, rye bread, bagels, honey, beer, and kvass, and even meat and dairy products, can all be found here.
Verbos (palm) bouquets are the brand product of Kaziuko muge, and are the most highly sold item during the fair. The popularity makes artists compete with each other to make the most exquisite verbos. They are created from colorful dried flowers and herbs, and people take them to churches on Palm Sunday. The shape of a verbos resembles a lily, a flower that St. Casimir is traditionally portrayed with.
In addition to traditional theatrical processions, horse pulled carriages, farmer's market goods from craftsmen, this year the fair also features an alternative and modern way to celebrate St. Casimir. Maironio Street 's where the landmark St. Ann's Church stands 's will be a hub for the hip and the cool, packed with workshops, art exhibitions, DJs, alternative music and antique books stores, along with a flea market and street musicians.
Kaziuko muge in Vilnius will take place over three days, from March 6 to March 8, in central parts of the city.
