“Patriotism is a thing difficult to put into words. It is neither precisely an emotion nor an opinion, nor a mandate, but a state of mind — a reflection of our own personal sense of worth, and respect for our roots. Love of country plays a part, but it’s not merely love. Neither is it pride, although pride too is one of the ingredients. Patriotism is a commitment to what is best inside us all. And it’s a recognition of that wondrous common essence in our greater surroundings — our school, team, city, state, our immediate society — often ultimately delineated by our ethnic roots and borders… but not always. Indeed, these border lines are so fluid… And we do not pay allegiance as much as we resonate with a shared spirit. We all feel an undeniable bond with the land where we were born. And yet, if we leave it for another, we grow to feel a similar bond, often of a more complex nature. Both are forms of patriotism — the first, involuntary, by birth, the second by choice. Neither is less worthy than the other. But one is earned.” (Vera Nazarian)
It was an honor for me to be invited to celebrate Lithuanian Independence Day with a friend and her family right here in Toronto. What a party! The Banquet Hall was beautifully decorated and the green, red, and yellow national colors were displayed prominently. Even the table napkins took up the colors of the flag. National pride was in full display and was evident in the words spoken, the songs sung by the Lithuanian Choir, and the beautiful national dress worn by the women.
What was most amazing was the Amber jewelry (gintaras) that nearly every woman wore whether she was in National dress or not. Several women were flattered to be asked to have photos of their jewelry taken and it’s a pleasure to share these with you. Amber is the national gem of Lithuania and, as you can see, comes in different hues of yellow,gold, orange, and brown.
In a conversation with my friend’s daughter over our sumptuous meal, she showed me the amber necklace she was wearing which was a gift from her grandmother who is now deceased. She also told me that Baltic amber comes from fossils and she told me that insects get trapped in the amber. This conversation prompted me to do a little research on my own and here’s what I found: “Amber (Lith. gintaras), found on the Baltic Sea shores, was and is highly treasured and is the national gem of Lithuania. It is a fossil resin” which came from the sap of “several varieties of pines. It is believed, that about 60 million years ago, these pines grew in the subtropical forest” in the present location of the Baltic Sea. “For unknown reasons these pines produced excessive amounts of” sap. “The overproduction may have been nature’s method of healing natural injuries caused by storms, lightning, pests and diseases, or perhaps it was caused by a sudden change of climate.” Sap “dropped to the forest ground, was embedded into the local sediments, compressed by the overlying deposits, and in time became fossilized. Numerous fragments of both plant and animal life were trapped in the sticky” sap “and thereby preserved. These inclusions make it possible to identify the plants and animal life of the period.” (Excerpts from Amber by Birute Saldukiene, Encyclopedia Lituanica)
The huge amber stone on the left was set in Lithuania and the lovely lady who was wearing it told me she paid about one hundred dollars to have it set in the “old country.” A beautiful setting!
Apart from this being just another celebration that I was attending, it became necessary for me to find out what inspired this national pride and such love of country. Why would the Independence Day of one’s country of birth be so important when one had adopted and lived for many decades in another country that had now become “home.” This is what I was able to find and now I understand why Lithuanian-Canadians celebrate this occasion in such grand style.
Lithuania became an independent country in 1918 and remained independent until 1940 when Soviet troops occupied it. From 1940 to 1990 Lithuania was known as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. On March 11, 1990, the Lithuanian Parliament issued a Declaration of Independence, and voted to have Lithuania emancipated from the Soviet Union. Independence was deemed officially independent on September 6, 1991. Lithuania becoming independent was an important event because it took control from Mikhail Gorbachev who had been starting issues with the United States for years. After Lithuania regained independence, the United States reopened the Embassy which it had closed in 1940 when Lithuania first became a Soviet Republic. (MLA Style: “Lithuania.” Britannica Student Library. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.
Isn’t all the amber beautiful and the weave and the colors of the fabrics the ladies are wearing? These two ladies were kind enough to let me take their pictures wearing their National Dress. Hope you enjoyed the collages!