Kaziuko mugė orSaint Casimir's Fair[1] is a large annualfolk arts and craftsfair inLithuania, dating to the beginning of the 17th century. The fair is traditionally held in city's markets and streets on the Sunday nearest to 4 March (Feast of St. Casimir), the anniversary ofSaint Casimir's death. InLithuanian,Kaziukas is adiminutive ofCasimir. Today, Saint Casimir's fair also features music, dance, theater performances; it attracts tens of thousands of visitors and many craftsmen from across Lithuania as well as from neighbouring countries such asLatvia,Estonia, andPoland.[2] In recent years, the fair has expanded into other cities in Lithuania, Belarus, Poland.
St. Casimir, son of King of Poland and Grand Duke of LithuaniaCasimir IV, was canonized in 1602.[2] In conjunction with hisfeast day celebrations, merchants established a fair. In 1827, they received a privilege to hold the fair in theCathedral Square. In 1901, after a monument toCatherine the Great was unveiled in the Cathedral Square, the fair was moved toLukiškės Square.[3] During theSoviet era, the fair was held inKalvarijos Market. In 1991, it returned to theOld Town of Vilnius.[2] It was first held inPilies Street but has since grown to spanGediminas Avenue, traverse the Cathedral Square, and branch out into Pilies Street,B. Radvilaitės Street, passingSt. Anne's Church, and theOrthodoxCathedral of the Theotokos, and into the Tymas' Quarter on the left bank ofVilnia River nearUžupis.[4] It is estimated that as of 2013, the fair attracted 2,000 merchants and half a million visitors over three days (Friday to Sunday).[5] In 2021, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the fair was held online. Previously, the fair did not take place only during World War II.[6]
In recent years the fair has expanded into other cities in Lithuania, includingKaunas (inLaisvės alėja andTown Hall Square),Alytus,Klaipėda.[2] Similar festivals calledKaziuki are also held in several cities in Poland, e.g. inLidzbark Warmiński,Olsztyn,[7]Szczecin,Gdańsk andPoznań,[8][9][10] as well as inHrodna,Belarus,[11] the city where St. Casimir died. A smaller version of the fair is also held by Lithuanian communities abroad, including inside the Lithuanian World Center inLemont, Illinois.
The arts and crafts at the fair include hand-made goods from local craftsmen, such as woven andknitted clothes, footwear, toys,utensils, pots and jugs, jewelry, souvenirs, and paintings. Traditional foodstuffs includerye bread,bubliks,gingerbread, natural honey, beer,gira, and colorfully wrappedhard candy. Crafts represented include wood carvers,blacksmiths, potters, weavers and knitters,wicker weavers.[12]
Easter palms (Lithuanian:verbos, singular:verba) are one of the fair's specialties. They are made of colourful dried wild flowers and herbs (about 150 different varieties of plants are used) tied around a wooden stick.[3] Traditionally, they were taken to churches onPalm Sunday. Verba has become a traditional symbol of spring and Easter. However, it is an endangered craft.[3] Makingverba is difficult and time-consuming process. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find flowers and herbs or special dies to color them. The buyers are wary that the dried plants would cause allergic reactions.[3]
Another signature product at the fair is the Casimir's Heart, a heart-shapedgingerbread decorated with sugar patterns and figures (flowers, zigzags, birds, etc.) or popular given names. People buy them to give to their loved ones. It is customary to bring back some these to those who could not attend.
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