On March 1st at 12 noon, a huge Ožgavėnių frenzy will take place at the Lithuanian Ethnographic Museum in Rumšiškės. Don't stay home - join the festive bustle and forget all your bad thoughts and troubles for a while.
The goat mask is considered one of the most important characters of the Samogitian Mardi Gras costume group. These masks were not found in Eastern Aukštaitija and Užnemunė.
The goat is a symbol of fertility. If a girl likes a boy, during Shrovetide she should approach him with a goat mask and say: “Little boy, take me to wife.” If he takes her, then the woman who has bewitched him will be with him forever. Another theatrical element of this mask is that a goat was given to old men as wives. By the way, in folk beliefs, a goat is often considered the devil’s animal or even his wife. The devil himself is also depicted with parts of the goat’s body.
Sometimes, people in disguise leading a goat would try to milk it as a goat. A bucket of water would be placed under the goat's feet, and the household would be called closer. The goat being milked would angrily kick the bucket and splash water on everyone. Goats also like to bleat, climb on the table, and butt heads.
How to dress up as a goat in the traditional way?
It would be so nice if you could come and celebrate like the old days – wearing masks and various costumes for your own fun! And if you want to join the goat herd, keep these tips in mind for the old-fashioned goat-dressing:
- The goats are dressed in fur coats turned up, their arms are stuck through the sleeves of the coats, a winter hat is tied over their tightly-knit heads, eyes are drawn on both sides with chalk, and wooden, grooved horns are attached.
- The goat has a woolen sock tied between its legs, full of ashes - this is the goat's kule. The other disguised people deliberately cut through the kule to make the ashes dusty.
- The goat is dressed in fur coats turned up, walks on all fours - on its legs and arms. It hangs a bag of ashes under its belly, which it dusts as it jumps. It weaves horns from straw, and attaches a tail, which the goat jumps and bleats when moved by a rope.
- A cart is taken, a taut rope is attached to the ends. The cart is straddled, the ends protrude upwards, the rope is held over the shoulder. A stump with twisted branches is tied to the first end. A white shroud is wrapped around it, which is sewn up at the horns and tail so that the person's face is not visible. The goat's legs, which are covered, are also not visible from under the shroud. A coolie is tied to the second end of the cart. The beard is made of linen, the horns are polished so that they do not scratch.
- To prevent curious people from plucking the goat, its tail is made of thistles. Sometimes the tail is also made of cotton wool - if you pour water on it and the goat splashes everyone around the hut, it will splash.
MARDINES PROGRAM | 2025
March 1, 12 noon at the Lithuanian Ethnographic Museum in Rumšiškės
THE TOWN
10-17 h
- Culinary and national heritage masters' and other goldsmiths' crafts fair (Žemaitija roadsides, town entrances and square)
- Information Center (Tabariškiu House)
- "House of Reincarnation" - what is forbidden by God (Tabariškės House)
- "Second Chance" - an exhibition and activity about using household items in mask making (Pušalotos House)
- "Give a second life" - making birds from textiles (County Council)
- Mardi Gras Post – sending postcards, souvenirs (Postal Agency)
- "Kipšiukai" workshop - make your own mask and try it out (Firefighter shelter)
- Exhibition of paintings by Kaunas Art Gymnasium students "Mardi Gras" (Firefighters' Shelter)
- "Easy to say, but easy to do?" – mask carving with master Viktoras Raibužis and his students (Plungės namas)
- "Have you seen, have you seen a gray goat?" - paper goat workshops, ethnographic dolls and photo exhibition (Plungės namas)
- "Grandma's Goat" - making goats from acorns (Urmininkos house)
- "Fairy Bakery" (Bakery)
- Treatment of "Ragučiai" - doctor's recipes (Žeimelis namas)
- Town store (Žeimelis house)
- "Putting on a mask, a crowd of people walks by" - photo studio with masks (Žeimelis House)
- Amber processing and weaving (Špitolė)
13-14 h Lecture "Slovak Morena and Lithuanian Morea. A Comparative Perspective of Ritual Symbols", to be delivered by Dr. Stanislav Gubančok from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (Slovakia). (Tabariškės namas)
ZEMAITIA
12-15 h
- Šiauliai district KC Bazilionyų branch Kurtuvėnai folklore ensemble "Kurtuove" and Telšiai KC folklore ensemble "Spigėns" (Darbėnai)
- Radviliškis KC folklore ensemble "Aidija" and Vilnius city folklore ensemble "Virvytė" (Gintališkė)
- Plungė KC folklore ensemble "Gondinga" and Telšiai folklore group "Sula" (Gondinga homestead)
- VU folklore ensemble "Ratilio" and Kaunas district Raudondvaris KC folklore ensemble "Piliarožė" (Užbradumės karčiama)
- Kaišiadorys KC folklore ensemble "Verpeta" and Kaunas folklore club "Liktužė" (Kartenas homestead)
12-17 h
- "Shovels Bring Happiness" - Pot Breaking (Ipilties Homestead)
- "Šiupinių čēsnis" – a Samogitian fatty treat (Gondinga homestead)
NEAR THE MILL
10-17 h
- "Bake a pancake with a friend" - independent pancake baking
- Horse racing around the mill
12-15 h "Who's what?" - Lithuanian trotting
SUVALKIYA
10-17 h Presentation of Kaunas Police activities, reflectors, quiz and police buddy "Amsis" (by the oak tree)
12-15 h "To go to the gaspadoriu" - Šakiai KC Griškabūdis branch folklore ensemble "NOVA" (Obelinės homestead)
12-17 h "Move with fun - live healthy" - sports entertainment (meadow near the Obelinė homestead)
15-17 h Rumšiškės KC "Rumškių Chapel" (Obelinė Homestead)
ENTERTAINMENT WITH HORSES
12-16 p.m. (with a break)
- Horse-drawn carriage ride (starting point – wooden apiary)
- Horseback riding (Dirgalis homestead, Samogitia)
AT THE SEA
14.30-15.30 Mask and ensemble procession from Samogitia towards Morea
15.30-16.00 The passing of the scepter to next year's mask, the fight between Lašininis and Kanapinis, and a bonfire for Morei - a symbol of evil, misfortune, winter, and darkness!
SPINNING – NOT THE LAST
16-17 h "Fun Dances Until Spring" with the folk band "Sutaras" (Town Square)
