Christmas Day in Lithuania

A public holiday on December 25

Lithuania’s Labour Code identifies December 25 and 26 as Christmas holidays. Work is generally not done on public holidays, though it may take place in certain circumstances, including when an employee agrees or work is scheduled under an applicable working-time arrangement.[1]

A public holiday that falls on a weekly rest day is not moved to the next working day, and no additional day off is granted for that reason. Employees who work on a public holiday are generally entitled to at least double pay; specific exceptions and working arrangements apply.[2]

Christian feast and winter traditions

Christmas Day commemorates the birth of Jesus in Christian tradition. The National Museum of Lithuania describes Lithuanian Christmas customs as combining Christian symbols with motifs connected to pre-Christian culture and the winter solstice, a seasonal turning point associated with the return of longer days.[3]

In Lithuania, the Christmas period includes Kūčios on December 24, Christmas Day, and the days between the holidays. Family togetherness and remembrance of deceased relatives are part of the customs described by the National Museum; one traditional practice is to leave a place at the table and food untouched overnight.[3]

Kūčios and Christmas customs

Kūčios is a family supper on Christmas Eve, rather than a Christmas Day meal. Lithuania’s national cultural heritage inventory describes a table with at least 12 dishes, often including kūčiukai, poppy-seed milk, herring and mushrooms; dishes vary by region and traditionally exclude meat, animal fat and dairy. The meal may begin with sharing a consecrated Christmas wafer and exchanging good wishes.[4]

Older accounts recorded by the Lithuanian National Culture Centre describe Christmas Day food customs such as pork and pig’s head, with regional differences including a dish with pig’s tail in Samogitia. The same account notes historical Christmas visits, greetings and songs, but these descriptions document customs of earlier periods and should not be taken as a guide to what every household does today.[5]

Planning for the holiday

Because December 25 and 26 are public holidays when work is generally not done, government offices and many ordinary workplaces may be closed or follow altered hours. The rules allow some work, including population-serving services, so the law does not establish that every shop or service must close. Visitors should check opening times directly with businesses and transport operators before making plans.[1][2]