January 6 marks the end of the festive season in Lithuania (many other countries around the world, too!). It’s the day when we take off the decorations from our Christmas trees, pack the lightbulbs and say “Happy New Year!” for the very last time. This is also the day when many front doors around Lithuania are marked with three letters - K+M+B.
Why January 6? Well, it’s the Three Kings Day, also known as the Epiphany. You can meet the Three Kings - or the Three Wise Men - right here in Kaunas and find out more about this Christian tradition!
On Sunday, January 6, 2019, the celebration will start at 1 pm at the Steigiamojo Seimo square on Šv. Gertrūdos street. From there, the procession will move towards the Town Hall Square through Vilniaus street. Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (hence the three letters mentioned above) will carry incense, gold and other presents, same as - the stories tell - they did more than 2018 years ago when Jesus was born. The Three Wise Men will remind the citizens to get back to work, but before that, various traditional folklore ensembles will perform their best repertoire at the Town Hall Square. Fire performance is also on the programme.
The event, same as every year, is organised by the team of Kaunas Centre of Ethnic Culture. Find it near the Kaunas Castle on A. Jakšto g. 18 - the centre offers plenty of workshops and hosts regular concerts and other events for those interested in the traditional culture of Lithuania. The centre is included on the Kaunastic Ethnic Route - be sure to pick it up when in Kaunas. You can also download a PDF version by clicking here.