The Christmas Town in the Town Hall Square this year is inviting the people of Kaunas to a sparkling fairy tale. The artist Jolanta Šmidtienė, who has been taking care of the cities decoration for fourteen years, admits that this time the idea of a royal theme was dictated by the paintings of  M. K. Čiurlionis. The main Christmas tree near the town hall will be lit on the 25th of November and the begining of the waiting period will be marked by a festive concert.

 Drizzled with drops of gold

At the end of November, the sparkling Christmas tree in the Town Hall Square will be covered with branches of gold drops and full of LED lights. According to the author, the cozy decorations, radiating a sense of peace, will create a traditional image of the holidays and a peacefull feeling.

J. Šmidtienė, who always surprises with her original solutions, shares her inspiration for this year. When creating the decoration concept, she was inspired by the virtual reality movie “Angels Trails”, seen in the National M.K. Čiurlionis Art Museum in the spring.

“The classics won this year. The motifs of Čiurlionis painting “King’s tale” will be seen in the decorations of the Town Hall Square and the main Christmas tree. We decorate the main symbol of Christmas with toys made of different  materials and created with a special technology. The two meter high peak shining from afair will attract attention. The golden color will dominate. We will try to make the Christmas tree shine like a real constellation.” – the creator revealed the idea of the Christmas tale.

 

 Invited to create a holiday together

The decorations of the Town Hall Square and the main city Christmas tree in Kaunas will cost the same this year as in previous year – about 160,000. euros. The city is not planning to spend more but  not planning to give up the festive mood either.

“Traditions are there to preserve them. Populists were heard suggesting to abandon festive attributes in the city but  Kaunas of today is no longer the one that would try to suppress the Christmas spirit.

Residents of Kaunas, guests of the city and people of Ukraine, who have found a safe haven here, really deserve to see, hang out and enjoy the cozy spirit of the holiday field. We especially want children to enjoy it. ” –  says Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis.

Kaunas people will be able to reach the Christmas town in Town Hall Square this year along the reconstructed Vilniaus street.

“The main street of the old town will be decorated with forest motives and LED lights of warm colors. By the end of the street – a composition of arch. Its height will reach up to four meters in some places. Organized and more convenient for everyone, Vilniaus Street is a great example of how changes in the city’s infrastructure contribute to easier organization of the holidays. I have no doubt that it will boost the mood of the people who come.” – J. Šmidtienė shared her thoughts.

Residents of Vilniaus Street and businessmen working here are invited to contribute to the cozy anticipation of Christmas.. Those who want to create a celebration together are invited to offer their ideas by e-mail [email protected]. 

 

 Waiting just like for the victories of “Žalgiris”

According to J. Šmidtienė, during the 14 years of creating unique symbols of the holidays, both the city and its people grew up, the themes of the holidays changed, but the values ​​and traditions remained the same. According to her, the people of Kaunas are waiting for the Christmas tree in their city like the victories of “Žalgiris”.

“Every year more and more daring creative ideas came up, bringing more experience to our team. More complex, newer technologies appeared on the market, which we applied in our solutions. For several years, townspeople joined the production of decorations, but the core of the team remained the same. Volunteers also contribute every year, so Christmas can come to the city on time,” J. Šmidtienė talked about the action behind the scenes.

The artist admits that the geopolitical and economic challenges plaguing the world, the war in Ukraine, prompted her to abandon overly pompous decisions this time and refrain from trying to surprise or even shock. The author of the Christmas decorations invites the people of Kaunas to spend time with themselves and their loved ones while waiting for the holidays and to create a festive fairy tale together with the whole city in their own way.

Information from the Public Relations Department