Kedainiai Local Customs

There was tradition of baking such pyramidal cakes ("sakotis" in Lithuanian, "sekacz" in Polish) as on my picture in Lithuania and north-eastern Poland (Suwalki district). In the past they were baked mainly for wedding ceremonies. There was special celebration of cutting the cake and sharing among all, numerous wedding guests by young husband.

I am sure that this custom survived. I could see a lot of pyramidal cakes sold in Maxima supermarket in Kedainiai (look at my shoping tips, please). It costed 19,99 LTL (what a price :-). Hmm... I didn't buy it, I tried to be (again) on low calory diet :-).
Do you want a recipe? Follow the link below, please.

Looking at some older houses in Kedainiai I found them very similar to numerous houses in Poland. Just one example on my picture: a red brick house with inscription 1939 on the upper part of its facade. It stood by the square at the end of Didzioji street overlooking Nevezis River on its back.

Does it prove Lithuanian influences in Poland or oposite: Polish influences in Lithuania? Well, both countries had shared, sometimes very difficult (sorry, Lithuania), sometimes great and famous history. So, no wonder, they are similar esp. north-eastern Poland looks like Lithuania. Add there are the same in both countries foreign influences of former Soviet Union (in the whole Poland) and old Russia (in Eastern Poland esp.).

There were a few patterns of painting windows and its shutters on old, wooden houses in Kedainai:
1. Like on my picture: two contrasting colours of which one was the colour of the whole house,
2. In one colour but always different than the whole house (brown shutters and yellow house for example),
3. Not painted for years :-))).

Enjoy your eyes!

Walking around the old town I saw a lot of just renovated old houses. And there were next ones renovated.
It seems that most (or even all) renovation works started when Lithuania and Kedainai regained independance in 1990 after over 50 years of Soviet occupation. And Lithuanian are crazy about their identity :-))), so I am sure they will not lose much of Lithuanian unique character, being European Union member now.

The previous authorities (of former Soviet Union) didn't pay any attention about Lithuanian heritage. I was told that they first robbed than created "Museum of Atheism" inside beautiful, renovated in 90', wooden Saint Joseph Roman catholic church. Hmm... no comments...

I noticed many satellite dishes fixed on roofs and by windows of houses in Kedainiai. They looked somewhat strange and out of place especially on old houses in the old town.
It seems that they didn't have cable TV (or maybe it's more expensive) and had to receive foreign TV channels by individual satellite dishes. Am I wrong?

When I was crossing Nevezis River by a bridge exclusively for pedastrians I noticed fishermen trying to catch fish and sitting on its... cement, supporting piers. Hmm... the top level of the piers (a few stores/floors above the water level) where they sat was about 2-3 meters below the surface of a bridge. It was not so easy to get there.

I noticed that locals prefered old German cars (especially Mercedes) than old Japanese cars. Why? Well, maybe they were less expensive, maybe they were better for loong use.

And as I know Germans used to treat their cars very seriously (prestigous) so they used to change them for new ones every say 3-5 years (quite different than say Suedes). Germany being the largest car market in Europe is forced to sell numerous used cars at lower prices. A lot of them go to more poor East which raises the prices. Well, since 1 May 2004 Lithuania is European Union member and there are no customs among EU countries, for cars as well.

There were no American cars in Kedainiai or I didn't see any.

I turned from the main, renovated street of Kedainiai (Didzioji) to a secondary street and I found out this very neglected building on my picture.

Look at this window with partly broken glass and wooden boards put instead on my picture. Believe me, I saw a young guy dressed in a suit and a tie working on a computer behind this window. When he noticed me with my camera he smiled and shut the roller blinds before I took my picture.