Travelog for: Squizzle

Hi Mummy!

I wish you happy happy Easter.

I'll tell you a bit more about Lithuanian Easter traditions.
Traditions of the night of Easter are very interesting, church rituals are intertwined with early beliefs. In 1933 newspapers wrote how people went to church Easter night, but did not pray. They dressed up as scarecrows and jested about. The guards at Christ's tomb were dressed as soldiers, holding guns and swords. In Samogitia and in other regions, people blew horns, dressed as devils. The principal disguiser had sooth on his face, cow horns on his head, with cow's tail hanging from his back, biting a huge pipe and holding a bottle of vodka in his hands. A masked woman would stick dead crows under noses of women, asleep in church.
Another type of disguisers wore masks with needles in the nose, dressed in rags, carrying whips. If they found anyone outside during the night, they chased them into church.
Before the First World War, throughout Lithuania , food was blessed on Easter morning. This tradition has remained in the region of Dzûkija. Easter eggs, salt, bread, cakes, ham, bacon, sausage, butter and cheese were foods to be blessed. Blessing eggs and bread would assure plenty of food all year. Butter and cheese were blessed to make sure that cows would give much milk.
The folks from Kurðënai placed three eggs, red, yellow and black into a basket, decorated with willow branches, filled with hay or moss and took the basket to church to be blessed. In Dzûkija, foods to be blessed were placed in straw baskets with removable covers. In other regions foods were carried to church in specially woven kerchiefs. It was believed that if it was a cloudy day, this kerchief should be taken outside and spread in the middle of the yard – then the clouds would disperse.
After the mass on Easter, some placed foods near Virgin Mary's altar, while others placed food in the churchyard. After the blessing of the food, everyone hurried home with the belief that those who got home first, they will be first in all their endeavors and that their bees will swarm faster.
Having returned with the blessed foods, everyone sat at the table, laden with traditional foods: eggs, pig's head or roast piglet, cheese, butter and baked lamb. If there was no baked lamb, there was a lamb made of butter or sugar placed on top of sprouted oat greens. This was a symbol of Easter. Before eating began, the family stood around the table, saying three prayers and wishing peace to the home. Eating began with eggs. If your egg shell is stronger, you are destined to live longer. The Easter egg shells were collected and half of them were fed to the hens, so that they would be good layers. The other half was burned in the stove, to make sure that trees will bud earlier. Meat bones and remaining egg shells were dug in the fields, so that mice would not eat the grain and hail would not be destructive to the grain fields.
In some regions, a tree made from nine or twelve fir branches, with woven nests to hold Easter eggs, was placed on the Easter table. It was also decorated with dough birds and colored papers.
It was said that on the first day of Easter, no visiting should take place till noon. If anyone came before noon, it was said that he brought flees from his home.
Children visited godparents and relatives to collect Easter eggs. A child upon entering the house, says nothing, just puts one finger into his mouth and receives an egg. If he places two fingers, two eggs are placed in his basket. Giving eggs to the children means that hens will be prolific layers.
The tradition of egg gathering still exists. In all of Lithuania, the act of hitting Easter eggs is known and practiced, especially by men and teenagers. The egg is placed in the palm of the hand with thumb and forefinger holding the pointed end of the egg, which is the hitting area. The cracked egg is taken by the person whose egg did not crack in the process of hitting.
Egg rolling is also popular throughout Lithuania. A thick tree bark with a smooth inside is placed at an angle and eggs are rolled down through it. When the egg hits another egg, which had rolled down earlier, the egg's owner takes possession of both eggs. 
Groups of young men on the night of the First Day of Easter, visit villages, extend greetings and for that are given numerous gifts. The night was filled with men's compelling voices, travelling from village to village. This tradition still continues in many villages even today.
These groups are made up of musicians, singers and a bag carrier, who will carry all the gifts. Their greetings began with the following words: " dear auntie and uncle, may we entertain your household", followed by: " Happy Easter Greetings". After this, they sang songs meant for unmarried girls:
A pear tree stands in the center of the manor
Under which grows a garden filled with rue
Young maiden, Anne walked there
Made paths and picked rue.

When gifts were received, they thanked the owners saying, " may God give you as many piglets to equal the number of nibbles you gave us". It also happened that the owners gave nothing, then a spell was put on them: " may your chicken swell under the stove, like the stove, so that you could not pull them out using even horse's strength". Girls who refused to receive these strollers – singers, were wished to remain single and to spend the rest of their lives sitting on the stove.
When their bag was filled with eggs and other goodies, the strollers – singers would stop at someone's home to party. They would then select the most beautiful Easter egg, calling its creator
" Queen of Eggs". If this woman was married, they crowned her with a crown that they carried, she in turn would place the crown on her unmarried daughter's head. This second Easter Day's festivity of strollers – singers, soon became the time of selecting daughters-in-law. Soon after matchmakers would do the rounds. For this reason young women tried to give their best Easter eggs to the stroller-singers.
 
We didn't go to mass but we had a big table full with dishes. They told me that they have so many dishes because of me-it was also my welcome party 


Egn promised to give a few recipes of dishes, wich we both liked the most.
Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mummy!

I'm still in Anyksciai. This city is famous for novel written about it's forest and also because of huge stone, second largest in Lithuania, called Puntukas. It is of 100 cubical meters size. (here you can see words, which means "Mythological stone Puntukas")

It's history however is even more interesting, as unlike other huge stones, it was visible during all the times. In pagan times, pagans considered Puntukas holy, and held various rituals nearby. The name is called after some warrior Puntukas, who was burned here in pagan times. There are some kind of markings on stone. There is a legend that those supposedly are devil's fingers - supposedly devil was carrying the stone and dropped it.



Also in the mid-XX age new markings were done on the stone - faces of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girënas - first Lithuanian pilots who flew over Atlantic. Their words are also put there. Their faces are on a Lithuanian currency Litas. Here you can see 10 Litas, me and Puntukas stone.




We had a nice walk at forest near Puntukas.






Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mummy!

  Egn told me a great new-tomorrow we may go to world debate championship in Druskininkai. This time we will be only viewer despite the fact that egn participated in a very alike competition in Lazdijai and she won. Tommorrow we will see students from more than 14 countries all over the world, for example South Afrika, Australia, Czech Republik...  Druskininkai is famous with natural salty mineral water, which comes straight from ground. What is more, he can even heal! I hope to try it. I'll write you more about that city after my visit there.
  Here are some photos, which have been made in Anyksciai. You may not believe me but I saw the highest church in Lithuania.









As I have already written, Anyksciai is very famous with its writers. Here you can see me with Antanas Vienuolis (Antanas Monk). He wasn't a monk actually, this was his surname. I'm sitting near his statue.


Here is another statue of one of the most famous writters in Lithuania. He was a priest and his statue is near Anyksciai church. Antanas Baranauskas (it was his name and surname) wrote about nature as he wanted to prove that Lithuania language suits to write poetry. Before Baranauskas, the main "respectable" languages in the area were considered to be Russian and Polish, so Baranauskas was one of the few primary individuals responsible for re-legitimizing the Lithuanian language, and by extension, Lithuanian culture. His poem was named "The Forest of Anyksciai".


Here is a stutue in Anyksciai centre. It shows the batles for Liberty. Egn and I didn't liked it...


Here you can see other houses in Anyksciai. I really liked the cosiness of that city. I think that was the friendliest city in Lithuania.




This thing we saw on rhe side of one building. In the times when Lithuania belonged to Russia they were very popular.

You can try skiing in Anyksciai as well. We climbed on a big mountain as I wanted to skii but there wern't snow enough for me.

I was so tired with all these walking all around Anyksciai, that I just laid my head and fall asleep in fresh air.


That's all for this time.
Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mummy!

  We didn't go to Druskininkai because of the pouring rain. We have some floods here in Lithuania. So, we staid in Lazdijai and spent evening playing with the piano some the Beatles songs.


Later we saw a film "Dorian Gray" and eating fruits. That film was so spooky that we staid awake almost all night.


Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mum!

  I have spent a marvellous day at Debate World Championship in Druskininkai. It wasn't allowed to take photos there so you won't see me with the best debators. I have listened two debates :"This house rejects the western way of life" and "This house believes in just war". All the topics of debates were kept in totally secret until the begining of debates. That was a remarkable experience. We will travel there tommorrow as well-to the FINALS. That should be nice.
Here you have some photos of Druskininkai.
A strange hotel building.


Here is the main church of Druskininkai.



Here I am near one of about hundred little statues in Druskininkai.


Here is a statue of a Little Prince (I think you have read that book).

There we saw some nice paintings.




And we have a lunch there. I ate chicken file with nutts, warm vegetables, mushrooms and popatoes. Yummy 


Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mum!

  We went to Druskininkai one more time.World debates championship FINALS was amazing. I liked Impromptou speaking the most and my favourite was Cameron Ewing from USA.
  We spent a whole day walking and taking photos. I saw firsts Lithuanian flowers, which are called Zibutes ("Shinys"). They are trully beautiful. That is how they look in the morning...

And that is how they look in the midday...


Here you can see me near one more remarkable statue in Druskininkai. I think there was shown prehistorical animal.

Here you can see one more statue. This is a bird, I think.


Here you can see me in different places of Druskininkai.




After a long walk we went to a restaurant to have a dinner. I ate very warm stock with toast and pancakes with cheese  and ham.


In Lithuania the atmosphere is a bit sad because of plane crash in which Poland president had died. There will be a three days mourning. That's all for now, mum. I hope you are fine. I miss you so much.
Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mum!

  We made no trips today and everything is a bit sad in Lithuania because of mourning. Every half hour we listen to news in both Lithuanian and Polish languages, egn had minutes of silence in her school.
  It may look strange to you that Lithuanian feels this tragedy so deeply together with Polish but there are some explanations of this behaviour.
1. President Kaczynski visited Lithuania just Thursday and he did that very often. He was expected guest in Lithuania.
2. Lithuania and Poland has related history. Do you know that once Lithuania and Poland was one country and they even had one king?
3. In Lithuania lives so many Polish (esp. in Vilnius) as not so long ago half of Lithuania belonged to Poland.
4. Every Polish has relatives in Lithuania and every Lithuanian has relatives in Poland.

  So, today we had a little photosession.



What is more, I want to show you my friends. I'll miss them so much when I'll travel home or to the other host. Here is a teddy Austria and teddy Luxembourg. We trully become the best friends here.


Egn just told me that she will travel to Strassbourg soon so she will have to send me to you or antoher host. Although, she had done so many photos with me that she will have to make atleast more 3 updates. And egn promised to visit her school park one evening.
That's all for this time.
Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mummy,

  I have been in a concert, where egn played with piano. It was remarkalbe experience when I heard the first notes of Strauss "Spring Voices". Everybody was fascinated and it seemed that they really felt a real spring outside. I even saw one woman crying!
  Here I'm trying to play with another piano.


  There have been some problems with egns travel. But I have already packed my things and I'll head to my next host tomorrow.



Hugs, Squizzle

Hi Mummy!

  I'm writting you to confirm, that I started my next travel.
  As egn had promised, we traveled to a local park. It wasn 't big and there were so little things to see as it is just a spring and that park wasn't tidy enough (the enourmous tidying program will take place on Friday).
  Here you can see me on the top of a silver fir.

  And here is another plant. I really don't know what is its name but it was fragrant..

One more strange plant.

And this plant will bloom in purple at summer. I hope to see it one day.


This is a chestnut. He is going to bloom soon as well. Although, his buds are very sticky at the moment.

Then we came back to egns garden. Lithuanians has a traditions to get a juice from birches. These juices are called "sula" ("sap"). It is very tasty. In this photo you can see me how this drink comes from tree and me, trying to lift a bucket with sap.

Next week tulips and daffodils will bloom.


Suddenly Katyte came to us and she started tickling me! I started laughing and fall 

At home I found out that Lithuanians just love planting. Here you can see little tomatoes, which will grow in egns garden.

I saw a tv show the last time in this house. It was about politicians.

That is all from me this time. I'm travelling to Canada now. Wish me luck.
Hugs, Squizzle

Squizzle Has arrived safe in Canada. Stay tuned for Pictures and updates

Squizzle arrived safe and sound yesterday. after a good nights rest we had a romp in the yard out in the front of our house. he had a good time playing with Hardway's daughter Jane, and met another T.V. from Ukraine named Taus

today I welcomed another TV. BineHH just arrived from Japan.
we haven't had time to do very much in the last couple weeks here.
My host Hardway had surgery and had been recovering.
but he said that as soon as he's better he'll show us all the cool things Ottawa has.

I traveled with my host Hardway's family and 2 other YoyVoys BineHH and Taus to Halifax NS, on the East Coast of Canada. It was a very long drive, 16 hours in the car. we made many stops along the way. I saw Montreal, Quebec City., and many small towns in the Provences of: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It is very rugged and beautiful country. In Halifax we stayed with Hardway's parents, went to a nearby beach, from which we could see the oldest working lighthouse in North America.
We went to several Pubs downtown, we stayed at a hotel that had a nice VIP room that we got to hang out in and have drinks

We enjoyed hosting Squizz. Today we sent him on his way home to Miapearl in N.Wales. Bon Voyage.

Cheers,
Hardway & Family

I have arrived safely home. My big brother had just gone to school when I arrived. He'll be happy to see me when he gets home. Dusel also arrived here today.