History Of The Kaziuko Muge
Every year, Kaziukas Fair takes place in Lithuania; mainly in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas. The fair was named after St. Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania. He was the prince of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, known for his devotion to God and generosity towards the sick and poor. Unfortunately, St. Casimir contracted tuberculosis and died at the early age of 25 on March 4, in the year 1484. More than 100 years later, he was canonized and became a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. St. Casimir’s life has been celebrated annually since his death, during the Sunday closest to March 4. Soon, this celebration became an official fair, drawing masses of people from multiple countries.
Origin Of The Festival
Changes Over Time
This celebration of St. Casimir has become a joyful tradition of Lithuanian folk arts and crafts. During the fair, the central streets of Vilnius and Kaunas become very active and thronged with people. It’s an event which is very popular not only with Lithuanians but also with foreigners. There are many products now present that hail from other places, such as high quality dairy products from Latvia. One of the biggest benefits of the fair in history was the selling of things that were created and collected during long winter days as there was a lack of shops. However, in contrast, the purpose of the modern celebration is not only to satisfy the buyers with homemade products but to entertain people with tasty food from street cafes and interesting shows.
Religious Connections
Kaziuko muge started out as a religious celebration in the middle ages. Prince Casimir has been a celebrity in Vilnius throughout the centuries. Near his grave, which is located in the cathedral of Vilnius, multiple miracles have happened in the past. Due to this, in 1501, pope Leo X declared Casimir “blessed”. In 1604, a grand walk was organized in order to welcome St. Casimir’s flag, labarum, which was blessed by the pope in Rome. The walk consisted of four groups of people - tradespeople, university students, pilgrims and soldiers. In 1636, Pope Urban III declared St. Casimir as the first guardian of Lithuania.
The walk continued to be held annually in the honor of St. Casimir. It ended up being very popular, and over time people ended up setting up small booths aorund the road where the walk would take place. In these booths people were able to grab something to eat. It is thought that this annual religious tradition grew to be the fair we see today.
