Klaipėdos universitetas

The purpose of this article is to answer the questions raised in the course of the research on the development of textile pocket of the national costume of Lithuania Minor in relation to the motivation for production and wearing of pockets, the choice in decoration characteristics, the symbolism of ornamentation and colour combinations. The analysis of the accomplished field research reveals the manifestations of the expression of the ethnocultural identity through production and wearing of textile pockets. The analysis of the symbolic meanings traditionally attributed and newly assigned to the chosen decorative elements of pockets reveals the cases of the continuity and change of a symbol. The act of wearing a pocket not only with the national costume of Lithuania Minor demonstrates the expression of one’s identity through wearing the chosen parts of clothing. The growing demand stimulates the production of textile pockets. The research analyses the material collected from the well-informed presenters (makers and wearers of textile pockets) based on the questionnaires compiled by the author of the present article.

Using authentic material from inhabitants of Lithuania Minor, the article analyses the specific nature of the feast of Pentecost in this region, in terms of its chronological development (starting with the first written references up to this day), in order to reveal the most conspicuous stages in its development, and modern transformations of the customs and traditions. The article covers the main elements of the feast of Pentecost for the Lietuvininkai dating from the end of the 19th and the 20th century. These elements are then compared to the feast of Pentecost in other regions, in order to reveal structural and functional changes in calendar festivals.

The changes in migration flows in Europe have challenged not only those countries which have received a large influx of new residents, but also countries which had less experience of this in practice. One of the reasons is related to the fact that welcoming is followed by an integration process into different spheres of social life. Therefore, this research focuses on migrants’ integration into the host countries’ legal environment, particularly with respect to acquiring legal information. The study aims to answer what are the internal and external factors that contribute to new residents’ experience in acquiring knowledge in the host country’s legal environment. The results are based on analyses of the experiences of Ukrainian immigrants living in Lithuania and in Spain, focusing on the research subtopics: a) What are the conceptual challenges faced by new residents while integrating into the linguistic space of legal relations? (b) What are Ukrainians’ experiences in obtaining legal information in Lithuania and Spain? and c) What are the observed patterns for the dissemination of legal information? The analysis reveals that new residents face systemic and personal obstacles in accessing and applying information about the legal framework of the host country. Ukrainian citizens residing in both Lithuania and Spain face difficulties in obtaining information on legalities, although the challenges they face are not identical, due to the different institutional characteristics of the countries. The study shows that it is not the institutions, but rather an inner circle of informal contacts, that help obtain, verify and share knowledge about legal regulations.

The instrumental music-making tradition of Lithuania Minor was officially recognised as a valuable part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and included in the national register in 2022. In the 20th century, the way of preserving the instrumental music-making of the Lietuvininkai (the inhabitants of Lithuania Minor) typically used for folklore was not followed, and it would have ceased to exist. However, the folklore revival movement that emerged in the 1960s, along with the determined efforts of Antanas Butkus, a master instrument maker, to restore the folk music instruments of Lithuania Minor, and other favourable circumstances, gave rise to renewed interest and new directions for the development of the tradition. The purpose of this article is to explore the forms and development of this folklore tradition, and to identify the factors that had the most important impact on its decline, restoration and continuity.

A number of different Midsummer celebration models can be distinguished in Lithuania Minor: the most archaic (14th to 19th century), 20th century, and the modern St John’s Day celebration models. The most archaic celebrations were rich in vestiges of the Baltic world-view and mythology: nature, fire and water were worshipped, and people cast spells to protect themselves from evil forces and ensure a good harvest and a happy life. The 20th-century ritualistic St John’s Day tradition of Prussian Lithuanians lost its existential importance as rituals became customs with new forms and symbolic meanings. The most important features of the celebration are the burning of witches in St John’s fire, and general merriment for youth. In the modern celebration model, there is an attempt to combine ethnic traditions with the needs of the consumer society. Fireworks replace ritual Midsummer fires, as bonfires lose their mythological significance. Although the institutionally organised Midsummer celebrations follow a more or less Lithuania-wide scenario; the centralised organisation of cultural events may be beneficial in fostering local forms of the Lithuanian celebratory tradition by highlighting typical elements of St John’s Day in the region of Lithuania Minor.