Wheel of the year of Romuva in Australia

The following is a description of the Lithuanian Sventes included with the dates that they are celebrated here in Australia. The conversion to the Australian Romuvos calendar was fairly straight forward because the dates for the Sventes are determined by seasonal, agricultural or astronomical observances which are clearly opposite here in Australia. For example, when Lithuanians celebrate the Summer Solstice in December, Australian Lithuanians are celebrating Winter Solstice at the same time. When Lithuanians honour the dead in the dying season of Autumn, Australian Lithuanians are celebrating the flourishing of nature in Spring and when Lithuanians are escorting Winter with song and dance, Australian Lithuanians are celebrating the harvest.

The fact that climate and seasons greatly vary in Australia and by no means comparable to the climate in Lithuania where they get down to -45 degrees Celsius in Winter. In much of Australia, there are no real seasons as the Europeans know it. In the Northern Territory, for example, Aboriginal people mark their year by food availability and the cyclic weather events. The season of Emu egg collecting is known when looking at the Milky Way, the shape of an Emu laying down can be seen. Knock em down storm season wouldn’t be easy to ignore. There are many more seasons recognised by the Indigenous Aboriginal people than Europeans and the clear difference in calendars can be understood when you realise that Aboriginal people were not agriculturalists. The European seasonal calendar doesn’t apply in much of this country, however, where I live is fairly temperate in weather and growing my veges brings me much joy so the seasonally adjusted European and Lithuanian Pagan agricultural calendar does work for me, in the place where I live, here in Australia.

From the diagram it can be clearly seen that the Sventes of Lithuania are astronomically and seasonally opposed so when celebrating them at the correct time of year brings a certain harmony within yourself, your community and the Gods and Goddesses of nature and the universe.

  

 Lithuanian Ethnic Religion Calendar Holidays

 Holiday

 Date in Lithuania-LT

 Date in Australia-AU

 Brief Description

 Prieskaledis

 (Pre-Solstice preparations)

 9-20/12-24 December LT

 9-20/12-24 June AU

 Preparation for the Winter solstice Eve

 Preparation for the Kucios meal

  

   

 Kūčios

 (Winter Solstice Eve)

 20/24 December LT

 20-24 June AU

 Union between the living and the dead. The last day of the Lithuanian year. Family holiday. After reconciliation and forgiveness, everyone sits together at the holiday table. Some of the 13 dishes,(representing the 13 Lunar months), must be eaten by all if a prosperous year is to be had. Many divinations and prognostications are performed.

Kaledos

 (Winter Solstice and New Year's Day)

 21/25 December LT

 21-25 June AU

 People pay homage to the Sun and blessings for the new solar year.

Tarpukaledis

 (Intra-Solstice)

 21 December-2 January/25 December-6 January LT

 21 June-6 July AU

 Days of rest. Traditional women's and men's work is forbidden

Pusiaužiemis

 (Mid-winter)

 25 January (in older practice: the first new moon, called the foal, after the Winter Solstice) LT

 25 July AU

Synonymous with lunar new year. Krikstas and new year celebration. Badgers, porcupines, and bears leave their caves or turn on their sides. This determines how long Winter will last.

+Perkūno diena

 (Perkunas Day)

 2 Feb LT

 2 August AU

 Blessing of candles(death candles), linen and ever green trees. Songs and prayers to Perkunas,the mighty Thunderer for strength and courage.

 We await the first sound of Springtime thunder, wakes nature from Winters slumber.

 +Gabijos diena

 (Goddess Gabija day)

 5 Feb LT

 5 August AU

 People bless of bread and people. Songs and prayers to Gabija, Thanks given to her for her Fire that cooks our food and gave us light, warmth and comfort through the cold Winter months.

Goddess of the home hearth, Guardian of Fire and grains.

+ These festivals combined are similar in some ways to the Celtic festival called Inbolc.

Užgavėnės

 (Mardi Gras, Pancake Tuesday, Shrove)

 Varies in February LT

 Varies in August AU

 Rite to usher out winter. A mock battle between the Bacon God and the Hemp God takes place where the later always wins. Burning of the More(Hag of Winter). Costumed people sing and dance as they go visiting.

 Vieversio diena/Kazimerines

 (Skylark day, St Kazimeras)

 24 February LT 

 25 August AU

  Craft markets and parades to celebrate the official beginning of Spring remembering the traditional tale from Lithuanian mythology that recalls when the Blacksmith God forged the Sun and threw her into the sky.

 Verba

 (Flower and herb lance)

 Varies in March LT

 Varies in September AU

 Preparation for Spring

Pavasario lyge

 (Spring Equinox)

 20-21 March LT

 23 September AU

 Welcomes Spring. Blessing renewal of life.

  

 Velykos (Easter) aka velykiu velines 

(Easter, Easter for the Souls,The Great Day)

 Varies in April LT

 Varies in Sept 2010 AU

Spring time to honour given to the Ancestors. People exchange coloured and decorated eggs. Egg games played. Swings made and people swung to help nature by bringing energy from the sky to the Earth and vice versa by performing the swinging action. People blessed certain foods to ensure that you have food all year. People whipped with Verbos (green branch) and sprinkled with blessed water. The green branch is believed to be magical and can bestow health and good fortune.

 _____________________________________________

Jore; now known as Jurgines

(St George day)

 23 April LT

 30 Sept AU

 Celebrates new growth of Spring. Animals are herded for the first time. The earth cannot be moved on this day. Rituals of bread making performed. Bread was buried in the fields and gardens. After placing a bread roll on the ground a farmer would put one ear to the ground, farmers would listen to the Rye to find out if it will be a good harvest. The God of the Spring Thunder was called Jore or Joris. He evoked the forces of Life. Jore owned the key to the Land, which when Earth is unlocked Jore sends rain and resurrects all vegetation. Flowers and Herbs were offered to Zemyna Goddess Earth Goddess, Pergubis God of all plants along with 15 other vegetation Gods were honored.

 Sekmines

 Varies in June LT

 Varies in December AU

End of sowing and commence of Summer work. People revelled in the abundance of nature. Houses and cattle adorned with flowers wreaths and Birch. Cattle incensed (smudged) Certain Divinations and Charms made. People performed similar blessings of grasses in churches, as at Zolines. Fire and Water was also blessed.  Wedding games played by youth express Pagan beliefs that peoples sexual love and fertility stimulate Earths productivity.

 Pre Solstice Days. Preparation for the Solstice.

 9-20/12-24 June LT

9-20 December

 Rasa a.k. a. Kupoline

 (Dew, Herb Pole Day, Eve of Summer Solstice)

 21-24 June LT

 21-21 December AU

Homage to the sun and medicinal herbs. Celebrated by many young people. Bon fires are kept during the night and until the dear Sun reappears. Wreaths are woven and set adrift, fortunes told, divinations performed, the fern blossom is sought at midnight. The hay harvest begins after this holiday.

 "Tarpukaledis"

(intra-solstice day).

Young people celebrate. The old year is burned. A sub-set of the Kaledos traditions are celebrated. The skies and the heavens predict the future weather and harvest.

 *Rugiu Svente

 (Rye holiday)

 25 July LT

 25 January, Australia Day AU

Blessing of rye and other grain crops at the harvest.

 *Prinokimo Svente

 (Ripe holiday)

 26 July LT

 26 January AU

 End of the rye harvest. The first new bread is baked.

Berries are ripe.

_________________

*These festivals are often combined.*

_________________

  Žolinės

 (Meadow Grass celebration)

 15 August LT

 15 February AU

Coming of autumn. People gathered grass from their fields and gardens and brought it to churches to be blessed. Rye, wheat and oat ears were tucked into these grass bundles. In the spring, these ears were crushed and sprinkled on the seeds to be planted. Other bundles of blessed grasses were used as medicine, as protection from lightning strikes and to be sewn into coffin pillows. Families always tried to gather together on this day to ensure the coming year would be a productive one. The spring crop harvest begins

 Dagotuves, Rudens Lyge

 (Autumnal Equinox)

 20-21 September LT

 21 March AU

 Harvest celebration

  

 Ilges a.k.a. Velines

 (Lengthening, Day of the Shades)

 21 September-2 November LT

 21 March-2 May(Main memorial on ANZAC Day) AU

Remembrance of the Dead. Reconciliation is sought between the Living and Dead. Donations are given to elgetos. Old and ill people, who cannot make enough to eat, become elgetos.

Over many years of research, I have learnt many of the traditional customs contained in literary material collected by numerous academic and ethnographic researchers of my Lithuanian ancestors. Trinkunas, Balys, Velius and Gimbutas just to name a few. I visited Lithuania and participated in most of these Sventes first hand to learn the practical side of these celebrations. I realised that it would be impossible to replicate here in Australia, the national joy, enthusiasm, customs, songs and dances that erupt everywhere in Lithuania, when celebrating the Solstices and Equinoxes. I have formulated my own Australian Lithuanian calendar as the relevant Sventes are expressed in my life, here Down Under. There are actually many more Sventes, birthdays, funerals and namesgiving but I am trying to keep this article brief.

 Sources: JonasTrinkunas,ed.Of Gods and Holidays.[ Vilnius ]:Tverme,1999.110-111.Jonas Trinkunas.Baltu tikejimas: Lietuviu pasaulejauta,paprociai, apeigos, Zenklai. Vilnius : Diemedzio leidykla, 2000. 45.Prane Dunduliene.Lietuvui Sventes: Tradicijos, paprociai, apeigos. Vilnius: Mintis,1981.

 Australian references by Steven Kryžius