The lit Vilnius Christmas tree has already received a huge response: Cathedral Square has not seen such a crowd for a long time

Vilnius birthday cake

Vilnius Cathedral Square has not seen such a flow of people for a long time: people gathered here and in the surrounding squares to see the spectacle, which has been restricted by restrictions for two years due to the pandemic – the lighting of the Christmas tree.

This year’s Christmas tree in the capital has already managed to get a lot of attention before it was even lit: some discussed the significantly increased price of green scotch after last year, while others discussed the original appearance of the Christmas tree, which caused the dissatisfaction of passers-by. Later, it turned out that this year, the green cake will resemble a three-tiered anniversary cake dedicated to the honorable 700th birthday of Vilnius.

The creator who presented the idea of ​​the Christmas tree composition, designer Dominykas Koncevičius of UAB “Šventių studija” said that the theme of this year’s Vilnius green screen was dictated by the upcoming solemn occasion – the anniversary of the capital city, the traditions of celebrating birthdays and the space where the Christmas tree shines every year.

“During the holidays, cakes are baked, gifts are given, congratulations are given, homes are decorated, candles, symbols of warmth and long life, are lit. The cake is not only a traditional attribute of the celebration, but also one of the most important accents of the decor”, said D. Koncevičius while presenting his creation.

Changes since last year: spent in one place, saved in another

On Saturday, the Christmas tree lit in the capital’s Cathedral Square brought 231,000 people to Vilnius. euros, the price has more than doubled since last year. It is true that this year Vilnius decided to abandon the second Christmas tree, which had been standing in the Town Hall Square for a number of years, and the streets of the capital are also decorated a little more modestly this winter.

It was decided to decorate only the most important arteries of the city: Gediminas Ave., Konstitucijos Ave., Town Hall Square, Vokiečių St., T. Vrublevskios St., Šventaragio St., Pilies St. section, Stiklių st., Aušros Vartų street section from St. Terese Church to the Aušros Varta Chapel, Aušros Varta St. at the Basanavičius monument, Gariūņu st., Ukmergės st. section from Tarande st. to Mykolos Lietuvios st., Molėtų pl. section from Skersinė st. to Loksininkai St., Nemenčinė Pl. section from Svajonii st. to O. Milašius st., Darius ir Girėnos st. section from Eišiškių pl. to Kapsų st., Galvės st. section from Žariju st. to Kirtimi st.

Ukraine is the focus of the lighting ceremony

While waiting for the most important surprise of the evening to light up, a crowd of thousands gathered to listen to the concert of the most famous Lithuanian artists: Merūnas, Jessica Shy and Augustė Nombeko, Monika Linkytė, Vidas Bareikis, Eugenijus Chrebtovas, Erica Jennings, Jovani, Mantas Jankavičius and others took the stage.

In his welcoming speech, the capital’s mayor Remigijus Šimašius chose the fight for freedom of Ukrainians as the main focus:

“The Ukrainians are on the 276th day of the war. If we look at the pictures of Ukraine from the satellite, we will see that it is the only place in Europe where there are no lights. Vilnius is shining, there are no lights. Today I had the opportunity to communicate with our brothers, some of them not only did not have lights, some could not be contacted by phone. Some of them are homeless and have lost friends. And I really invite you today, in such a situation, to remember what is really most important, that it is a great joy to have a house, a Christmas tree in that house, to invite friends, to communicate and to know that the perspective is clear and good. Therefore, this year I want to congratulate you on the fact that we live in a wonderful, safe, prosperous and progressive city, which will celebrate its 700th anniversary next year,” said the mayor.