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2018-11-22 Back to list

Christmas Season in Kaunas’2018: Mark Your Calendars

We're switching on the festive lights on December 1!

On December 1, 2018, the Kaunas Christmas tree will be lit on the Town Hall Square. This is where the traditional Christmas market will be located. It’s also scheduled to open on December 1 and will last through January 6, 2019. There’s plenty of time for you to experience the holiday spirit of Kaunas! We’ve put together a few events for you, but first...

Did you know that, for more than 500 years, St. Nicholas – the Santa Claus prototype – has been the patron saint of Kaunas (also Amsterdam, Bari, Liverpool and a few other cities). This makes Kaunas the official Christmas capital of Lithuania and the Baltics! The feast day of St. Nicholas is December 6; around that date, the patron saint mass is always held in the miniature yet stunning St. Nicholas church (Benediktinių g. 6).

… And did you know that Kaunas set Christmas tree-related world record in 2011?! A tree made from 40,000 recycled plastic bottles set the world record for the Largest Christmas tree made of plastic bottles, according to World Record Academy. The same talented artist Jolanta Šmitienė is working on this year’s Christmas tree, so we’re confident it’ll be kaunastic.

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The award-winning Christmas tree is in the last picture, but we love them all - each year, the artist manages to surprise and inspire everyone with her work. Pictures by A. Aleksandravičius.

Why not add a couple of festive events into your Kaunas itinerary? Here’s some of them.

December 1, 6 pm. Christmas tree lighting ceremony and concert at the Town Hall Square. You're welcome to join the crowd or climb up the terrace of the Jesuit monastery located at the square and enjoy the view from above (the entrance to the terrace is paid; it'll be open from 4:30 pm).
December 1 – January 6, 4 pm – 8 pm Mon-Fri / 12 pm – 8 pm Sat-Sun. Christmas market at the Town Hall square.
December 1, 3 pm. Christmas season opening concert by the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra. Kaunas State Philharmonic.
December 1, 5 pm. Lighting of the Historical Presidential House garden.
December 1-2, 5 pm – midnight. Light installation at the Kaunas Maironis Gymnasium.
December 1, 5 pm – midnight. Light installation at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre.
December 7-9, 5 pm – midnight. Light installation at the Kaunas Town Hall (Rotušės a. 15) and Church of St. Francis Xavier (Rotušės a. 8).
December 22, 12 pm. Traditional Christmas run at the Panemunės šilas. Choose your distance and join the festive exercise.
December 26, 5 pm. Christmas concert by the Kaunas Brass Orchestra and Ainiai band at the St. George the Martyr Church (Papilio g. 7).
December 31, 10:30 pm. New Year’s Celebration at the Town Hall Square. Put on your boogie shoes and get ready to dance the night away!
January 6, 1:30 pm. The Epiphany, or the Three Kings’ Day celebration at the Town Hall Square. This is the day when every Lithuanian waves goodbye to his or her Christmas tree and finishes the festive season.

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Picture perfect! The Santakos (Confluence) park located a stone’s throw from the Town Hall will once again become a Winter Wonderland this year. Pictures by Kaunas City Municipality.

Of course, many more concerts, performances, workshops, Christmas fairs, etc. are scheduled for December in Kaunas. You can find our Christmas fair guide here. For more ideas, recommendations and tips, contact the elves at the Kaunas IN Tourism information centre (Rotušės a. 15. Yep, right in front of the Christmas tree!). 

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