Pivošiūnų Žolinės atlaidai: 2001 metų etnologinio tyrimo duomenimis
The Festival of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Pivašiūnai

Summary/Abstract: The article aims to ethnologically investigate the festival of the Assumption in Pivašiūnai. This is a new phenomenon in the history of the Lithuanian church festival tradition, the beginnings of which could have been traced to 1988 when the picture St Mary was proclaimed as a miraculous one by the Pope. The author of the article tries to define the importance of this festival in the lives of different age groups of pilgrims, their motifs, the means they come to these festivals, their impact on people’s everyday day life and traditions. The article also aims to trace ways and means by which pilgrims travelled to these Church festivals, their territorial scope, and their influence on present-day festivals. To achieve these aims, different age groups of people were interrogated in Pivašiūnai on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin day in 2001; in addition, observations, informal conversations, a survey of young pilgrims’ opinions as well as historical and ethnological data were taken into consideration. In conclusion, though motifs of socialising and personal communication are still very important in attending the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin festivals, the essential religious function of these festivals still prevails.

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