Grūšlaukė Užgavėnės (Shrovetide Festival)

For over a century, as far back as local memory extends, the morning of Shrovetide (Užgavėnės) in Grūšlaukė village begins with costumed revelers and musicians embarking on a loud and boisterous parade. They visit every homestead, greeting residents with speeches, songs, dances, jokes, and pranks. Homeowners, honored by the visit, reciprocate with warm hospitality and festive treats. As evening falls, the revelers return to the village square, where they are welcomed by the townspeople with traditional pancakes, a thick stew, tea, and a large bonfire for the symbolic burning of Morė (a straw effigy). This marks the transition from winter to spring, making Shrovetide one of the most important celebrations of the year in Grūšlaukė.

The festival features a mix of fixed and evolving ritualistic and non-ritualistic elements, with characters representing humans, animals, and mythical demons. The costumed revelers typically wear handcrafted masks, fur coats turned inside out, old woolen trousers, straw-made humps, and carry whips, brooms, or household objects. The ten-hour-long masquerade requires physical and mental endurance, preparation, and creativity. Participants, mostly men with a few women, take on traditional roles such as the leader, doctor, devils, death, witches, beggars, and dandies (stiliagos). The festival’s longevity is ensured by the passing down of characters within families, with participants inheriting the roles their parents or grandparents once played.

The engagement and active participation of the Grūšlaukė community, regardless of changing historical and political circumstances, are the key factors ensuring the preservation of Užgavėnės. For several decades, the town's residents have been committed to documenting, safeguarding, and passing down this celebration, recognizing its significance as a unique festival that unites the community. Documentary films about Grūšlaukė's Užgavėnės have been produced by Lithuanian Television (1999) and the French documentary film studio Les Films Figures Libres (2019).

Submission by: Kretinga District Municipality Administration, Kretinga District M. Valančius Public Library, Grūšlaukė Village Community

Tradition Bearers: Grūšlaukė Village Community, Kretinga District M. Valančius Public Library’s Grūšlaukė Branch, and the Grūšlaukė Division of Kretinga District Cultural Center

Certificate No. NKPVS-67