Christmas was celebrated at the Lithuanian social Club by an annual visit of ‘Kalėdų Senis’. ‘Eglutė’ [Christmas Tree] often took place just after the New Year, within the 12 days of Christmas. As many travelled to the venue by bus, this avoided days without transport and did not spoil Christmas at home.
The programme was always the same. A ‘warm-up’ with singing and then the arrival of the man himself. He would sit down for a rest while the children took turns to recite a poem, sing a song or show off in some other way. Without this you would not be sure of a present. At the end of the performance, out would come the presents from the sack. Every child also received a bag of monkey nuts, sweets and a mandarin.
This picture from 1957 has Aleksas Kuzmickas as Santa next to Domas Dainauskas who was our teacher (Lithuanian classes every Sunday) and led the programme.
In this picture it says the man next to Santa is called Domas. But in another picture of the same with circles around faces has a name Vincas.
Is it Domas or Vincas?
And do you have more pictures?
Sean, there are pictures in the Gallery but this part has crashed and the public cannot see them. They still exist but only Admin (me) can get them from the server.
Domas Dainauskas was the teacher. Santa may have been either Šablevičius, Šiaučiulis or Motūza. I can’t tell which and I don’t remember.
You sent me an email about Petružis. I don’t think I have any of him though he may be in the background of something.