The data on Kaunas town celebrations in the 16th-18th century

All the celebrations of Kaunas town, which despite the confessional differences united all the townspeople, can be divided into four groups: religious, calendar, occasional and state celebrations. The feast of Corpus Christi, also known as Devintinės since it fell on the ninth Thursday after Easter, was an exceptional religious celebration. Of the calendar celebrations, the most notable is Shrove Tuesday, called Triumph in town documents. Occasional celebrations were related to the ceremonies of greeting the important guests in the town. The state celebrations were always opened with Town Hall illuminations. All the town celebrations shared a few common features: they were overseen by the magistrate, the participation of the townspeople in them was compulsory, and the main events were held in the Town Hall square. The celebrations usually were very loud and were rather similar.

Liudas Glemža

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