I met with joy Aiste's best friend, Dangyra,
who accompanied us (Aiste and me) over Kaziukas Fair in Vilnius.




What are the origins of the name given to the fair
and why is it held at this particular time of the year?
There are historical reasons for this.
"Kaziukas" is a diminutive name from "Kazimeras" (Casimir), the patron saint of Lithuania.
Prince of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Casimir lived in the 15th century
and died on March 4, 1484.
Since his canonization in 1602, the day of his death, was marked by a feast
lasting for several days.
Thousands of people would arrive in Vilnius to honour st Casimir.
The commemoration gave rise to the fair:
as the feast was quite lengthy,
street vendors started selling their products to people participating in the event.
Stalls with food, drinks and folk craft-ware
became an integral part of the annual commemoration of st Casimir.
As time went by, the commercial side overshadowed the religious aspect of the holiday,
though for many the latter still remained dominating.
Today, while, of course, being aware of the true reasons of the celebration,
most people also perceive this day
as a perfect opportunity to purchase hand-made artefacts,
as well as to try delicious food and drinks.