Thenational symbols of Lithuania are used inLithuania and abroad to represent the country and its people, history, culture, and nature. These symbols are seen in official capacities, such asflags,coats of arms,postage stamps, andcurrency, and inURLs. They appear less formally as recurring themes inliterature, art andfolk art,heraldry, monuments, clothing, personal decoration, and as the names of parks, bridges, streets, and clubs. The less formal manifestations may be classified asnational emblems.
Some of the symbols are more heavily weighted with meaning than others. For instance, during theSoviet occupation of Lithuania, theLithuanian flag and thenational anthem were replaced; theLithuanian Coat of Arms was not shown in official capacities. On the other hand, in keeping with the Soviet policy of encouraging what were seen as harmless expressions ofethnic identity, Lithuanian national costumes were often featured onpostal stamps and elsewhere.
Lithuania was occupied by Soviet Union in 1940–1941, later it was controlled by theNazi government during World War II and was aSoviet Socialist Republic from 1944 until 1990. The latter situation is generally seen by Lithuanians as anoccupation. Public displays of both theNazi swastika and thehammer and sickle were banned in 2008.[1]
The flag was officially designated in 1918, and was re-instituted in 1988. Yellow represents the sun, light, and goodness, green symbolizes the beauty of nature, freedom, and hope, and red stands for the land, courage, and the blood spilled for Lithuania. The colors of the flag also appear in clothing, URLs[dubious –discuss], and team uniforms.
Lithuanian law states that the flag should be hoisted on historical holidays such as February 16 (marking the re-establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1918), March 11 (commemorating the re-establishment of Lithuania's independence in 1990), July 6 (marking the coronation ofMindaugas as King of Lithuania), July 15 (marking theBattle of Grunwald), October 25 (Constitution Day), and near historically significant buildings such as thePresidential Palace.
The state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania isVytis (the white knight). The heraldic shield features a red field with an armoured knight on a white horse holding a silver sword aloft in his right hand.
The charging knight is known to have been first used as the state emblem in 1366 on the seal ofAlgirdas,Grand Duke of Lithuania. The earliest coins featuringVytis date from the second half of the 14th century.Vytis is engraved on all currentLithuanian coins, is displayed on many Lithuanianpostage stamps and official documents, and is part of theURL of official Lithuanian websites.
FormerUnited StatesNFL playerJoe Jurevicius bears aVytis prominently tattooed on his arm as a symbol of his Lithuanian ancestry.
"Tautiška giesmė" is the national anthem of Lithuania. The music and lyrics were written in 1898 byVincas Kudirka. The song was first publicly performed inVilnius in 1905, and became the official national anthem in 1919. It was replaced by another national anthem during the Soviet era, and was reinstated in 1992 when the new constitution was ratified.Lietuva brangi (Precious Lithuania), written by the poetMaironis, is another important song sometimes called the unofficial national anthem.[2]
Gediminas andMindaugas are generally regarded as thefounding fathers of Lithuania. Gediminas was said to have had a dream which led to the founding of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania; in this dream, an iron wolf howled all night near the site of the present-dayGediminas Tower. A seer interpreted this as meaning that a great city should be built there."What is destined for the ruler and the state of Lithuania, let it be: the iron wolf means a castle and a town which will be established by the ruler on this site. The town will be the capital of the Lithuanian lands and the dwelling of rulers and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world". Mindaugas was the first king of Lithuania, crowned in 1253.
TheColumns of Gediminas have been dated to the 14th century. They were often drawn on walls and fences as protest against theSoviet occupation.EuroBasket 2011, which was held in Lithuania, used a modified version of the columns in its logo.[3] Gediminas is a frequently used street name, most notablyGediminas Avenue inVilnius. Mindaugas and Gediminas are popular first names for men in Lithuania.
During the period ofVytautas the Great, Lithuania reached the biggest extension of its territory. Victory inBattle of Grunwald of 1410 (known as Battle of Žalgiris in Lithuanian) with Polish coalition became a turning point of Lithuanian history, establishing a permanent western border. During the Interwar period of Lithuania, Vytautas was regarded as the greatest ruler in Lithuanian history and 1930 was officially declared as the Year of Vytautas. Many public events, encouraged by authoritarian regime of PresidentAntanas Smetona were held in 1930, generating a cult of Vytautas.
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The most prominentlandmark in Lithuania is probably the medievalGediminas Tower in Vilnius; it is one of the highest points in the city, and the flag of Lithuania is flown there. During the Soviet occupation, theflag of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was displayed there; on October 7, 1988, during the independence movement that was finalized by theAct of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania on March 11, 1990, the Lithuanian tricolor was re-hoisted atop the tower. Other significant landmarks include theVilnius Castle Complex and itsCathedral Square,Trakai Island Castle andHill of Crosses; they frequently appear in books, posters, stamps, and tourist brochures.
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In addition to its formal use in churches, the cross in Lithuania long ago became a frequent subject of folk art.Lietuviškas kryžius is a stylized folk art cross put up at crossroads, in cemeteries, near houses, and as votive offerings in churches. The crosses combine elements of architecture, sculpture, blacksmith art, and painting. They often feature organic flourishes, motifs of the sun, birds, and represent theWorld Tree. To plead for grace or to express gratitude, the crosses are built as memorials to the dead or as the signs of spiritual protection at certain places. The art ofLithuanian cross crafting was acknowledged as one of theMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001 byUNESCO.
A distinctivetwo-barred cross – the Vytis Cross – appears on the shield held by the knight in Lithuania's coat of arms. Adopted by Grand DukeJogaila as his personal insignia, it is usually associated with theJogaila dynasty. This cross is displayed on Lithuanian aircraft. TheOrder of the Cross of Vytis is a Lithuanian Presidential Award conferred on those who have defended Lithuania's freedom and independence. TheLithuanian Air Force adopted this cross in itsroundel and theSpecial Investigation Service andLithuanian Riflemen's Union adopted it in the logo.
TheHill of Crosses, containing thousands of crosses of all sizes, is the best knownpilgrimage site in Lithuania.
Wooden carvings ofRūpintojėlis, "The Jesus who cares for us," are often seen at crossroads and in cemeteries. He always rests his head on his right arm, his left hand rests on his knee, a crown of thorns on his head shows drops of blood, and his face is full of solicitude and sorrow.
The pose may represent Jesus' anticipation of hiscrucifixion, after his scourging andcrowning with thorns. It is also said to depict Jesus after hisresurrection and before hisascension. One legend has it that Jesus traveled throughout the world wearing his crown of thorns; during his journeys, he sometimes sat on stones near the road and wept.
Thepatron saint of Lithuania andPoland isSaint Casimir, who is held to have a special affinity for young people; he died in his twenties. His image often appears instained glass in Lithuanian churches, often holding alily. Saint Casimir's Day is celebrated on March 4. He was said to have appeared as anapparition in 1518 at theDaugava River during theMuscovite-Lithuanian Wars, encouraging the Lithuanians.
After his death, hisrelics in Vilnius became a frequent destination ofpilgrims;St. Casimir's Fair developed around these pilgrimages, became an annual event, and is still held today.
Other saints who may be seen in coats of arms and elsewhere includeSaint George andSaint Christopher.
Lithuaniafolk costumes make use oflinen weavings in geometric patterns. The full costume is worn only by folk dance groups and the like, but the characteristic fabrics appear in belts, ties, scarves, and other accessories worn on national holidays.Some parts of thefolk costume are customary to only particular regions of Lithuania.Delmonas (or dalmonas, plural delmonai) – is a part of women's garb, originated inLithuania Minor. It is essentially an elaborately decorated purse (outwear pocket), visibly attached to the waist by a waist-band, made out of dark coloredvelvet,silk,wool orcotton and elaborately embroided with colorful threads and glass beads. This female costume feature represents thePrussian Lithuanians and is not common to other ethnographic regions of Lithuania. In 2019 Delmonai of Lithuania Minor were inscribed into TheIntangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Lithuania as a form offolk art, traditional craftsmanship or agricultural activities.[5]
Thewhite stork (gandras) was declared the national bird of Lithuania in 1973.[6] Lithuanians believe that storks bring harmony to the families on whose property they nest; they have also kept up the tradition of telling their children that storks bring babies. Stork Day is celebrated on March 25 with various archaic rituals: gifts for children, attributed to the storks, such as fruits, chocolates, pencils, and dyed eggs, are hung on tree branches and fences; snakes are caught, killed and buried under the doorstep; straw fires are lit. Notably, Lithuania is a beneficial and important habitat for these birds: it has the highest known nesting density in the world.[7]
Other birds of note are thecommon cuckoo (gegutė) – its call is said to sweep away the last traces of winter, and the month of May (gegužės mėnuo) is named for this bird. Therock pigeon (balandis) is commemorated in the month of April (balandžio mėnuo).
Lithuania's special animals include theaurochs, themoose, thewolf (vilkas), and thebear (lokys). According to a popular legend, aniron wolf inGediminas' dream encouraged the Grand Duke to establishVilnius and make the city his capital. TheIron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade (motorizuotoji pėstininkų brigada 'Geležinis vilkas') is now the core unit of theLithuanian Army. The bear is an ancient symbol ofSamogitia, one of theregions of Lithuania, and appears in the coat of arms ofŠiauliai district. Amoose is shown in theLazdijai district municipality coat of arms and the aurochs is featured in theKaunas coat of arms.
The national plant isrue (rūta). A bride traditionally wears a little crown made of rue, which is a symbol of maidenhood. During the wedding the crown is burned, symbolizing the loss of careless childhood and entrance into the world of adulthood.
Trees of special significance includeoak (ąžuolas),birch (beržas),linden (liepa), andspruce (eglė). A veneration of oak trees comes from pagan times, when they were of religious significance. TheStelmužė Oak, thought to be at least 1,500 years old, is the best-known tree in the country. The significance of trees is reflected in theLithuanian calendar. The month of June is, in Lithuanian, "birch" (birželio mėnuo), and the month of July is "linden" (liepos mėnuo).
Amber, nicknamed "Lithuanian gold", has been harvested from the shores of theBaltic Sea since prehistoric times. ThePalanga Amber Museum holds thousands of amber specimens and artifacts. Most women in Lithuania are believed to possess some item of amber jewelry.
Basketball, Lithuania'smost popular sport, could be also considered a national symbol. During the 1980s basketball was an important outlet of national feelings, particularly when the country's favorite team,Žalgiris Kaunas, played againstCSKA Moscow in the finals of theSoviet Union league. The Lithuanian basketball medals in the1992 Olympic Games encouraged this symbolism. The 1992 and 1996 basketball teams, which were partially sponsored by theGrateful Dead, sported red, yellow, and greentie-died T-shirts echoing the colors of the flag, featuring the now-trademarkedSlam Dunking Skeleton created by New York sports artistGreg Speirs.[9][10][11][12]