Lithuania
By Maaheen Maajed- Period 6 - 4/30/15
Climate and Weather
- Short, cool summers - July temperatures average about - 63°F - Best time to visit the country
- Cold and snowy winters - January temperatures average 23°F
- Rain throughout the year
- Westerly winds are common
Culture
- Main language is Lithuanian
- Most people are Roman Catholics, but there is no official religion
- 11 national holidays - New Years, Easter, International Labor Day, Christmas, Independence Day (February 16), Independence Restoration Day (March 11), St. Johns Day (June 24), King Mindaugas Crowning Day (July 6), Žolinė, Assumption of Mary Day (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), Užgavėnės (Shrove Tuesday), Kūčios (Christmas Eve), and Kaziukas Fair (Sunday nearest to March 4)
- St. John's Day - it is believed that the dew becomes magical, as it is the shortest night of the year, bonfires are bade to celebrate the sun, herbs are collected and used in wreaths and fortune telling as they are also believed to be magical, and people search for fern blossoms
- All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day are two days used to honor the dead - on All Soul's Day, it is believed that the souls of the dead return to Earth
- Christmas Eve - Ritual dinner meant to bring wealth the following year, there are 12 dishes and each is meant to represent a different month, everyone has to taste each dish for the coming year to be full of wealth, food is not put away afterwards but rather left out for the souls to have at night
- Užgavėnės - A winter holiday in which people ask the winter to go and spring to come, much food is eaten
- Kaziukas Fair - A folk art and crafts festival
- Calendar system based on celestial bodies and natural events
Activities
- Curonian Spit - A spit (sand that extends out into the water) that separates the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea coast
- Vilnius - Capital of Lithuania, one of the oldest cities in the country, diverse population throughout history
Aukštaitija National Park - Many lakes, forests, and different species of plants and animals
Current Information
- Currency - Euros are used, 1 euro = $1.12
- Decmocratic government
- President - Dalia Grybauskaitė (pictured below)
- Economy: GDP is $55.1 billion, per capita income is $15,500
- They export building materials, chemicals, services, food, and various consumer goods
Food
Balandėlia (pictured below)i:
- Gather ingredients: 1 4-pound cabbage, 1 cup of chopped onions, 1 cup of chopped celery, 1/2 a cup of chopped bell pepper, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup of cooked rice, 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, lamb, and pork (or a combination of those three), 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic, 1 beaten egg, a pinch of marjoram, some salt and pepper, a cup of tomato puree, a cup of beef stock, and 3 tablespoons of sour cream
- Remove the cabbage's core and boil the cabbage in salty water
- Take out the leaves once they are sufficiently boiled and cut the stem away from each cabbage leaf with a paring knife
- Saute the onions, celery, and bell peppers in butter and let them cool
- Mix the rice, onions, meat, garlic, egg, marjoran, salt, and pepper
- Place 1/2 of a cup of meat onto each cabbage leaf, roll it away from yourself, then flip the right side and then the left side in, then roll away from yourself again
- Put the cabbage rolls in a Dutch oven, season each layer with salt and pepper,, mix the tomato puree with the beef stock and pour it over the cabbage rolls, then let it simmer for an hour
- Serve it with the pan juices and sour cream
Vacation
- Airfare for a round trip: $1,497.65
- Land in Vilnius
- Visit Vilnius University
- Visit the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
- Visit the Vilnius Castle Complex
- Have a walking tour of Vilnius
- Visit the Curonian Spit
References
Works Cited
Bilocerkowycz, Jaroslaw. "Lithuania." World Book Online. World Book, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://classic.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar326600&st=lithuania>. "Land and Climate." Culture Grams. ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://online.culturegrams.com/world/ world_country_sections.php?contid=5&wmn=Europe&cid=92&cn=Lithuania&sname=Land_and_Climate&snid=1>. "Lithuania (Archive)." SIRS Discoverer. ProQuest, 2010. Web. 3 May 2015. <http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/ article?urn=urn%3Asirs%3AUS%3BARTICLE%3BART%3B0000028220>. "Lithuanian Stuffed Cabbage Recipe - Balandeliai." About Food. About.com, n.d. Web. 3 May 2015. <http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/lithuanianmaincourses/r/ stuffed-cabbage-balandeliai.htm>. "The Official Gateway of Lithuania." The Official Gateway of Lithuania. Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybu0117 The Official Website, n.d. Web. 3 May 2015. <https://www.lietuva.lt/en/>. Prepare to Serve! Culture and Traditions in Lithuania. YouTube. Google, n.d. Web. 4 May 2015. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_DRPY4k-gQ>. "Republic of Lithuania." Culture Grams. ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://online.culturegrams.com/world/ world_country.php?contid=5&wmn=Europe&cid=92&cn=Lithuania>. Webjet. Webjet Marketing North America, n.d. Web. 4 May 2015. <http://flights.webjet.com/search/ 7HW-1/CHI-VNO/05-05-2015/05-07-2015/1-0-0-Y>.