A parish festival or parish fair or indulgence feast ( lt, atlaidai; pl, odpust parafialny) is a local annual festival held by
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
churches in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
on a
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
of the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of a given
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
. Many of the festivals have long historic traditions that date back to the
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
in the 16–17th centuries. Almost every parish has such festival with some churches having several. Participants in these festivals can receive
indulgence
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...
s for themselves and their dead relatives. The festivals include masses, religious processions, performances by church choirs, other music performances and are often accompanied by traditional craft markets. The feasts reinforce local identity and foster a sense of community. Some of the larger festivals, like the
Great Žemaičių Kalvarija Festival
The Great Žemaičių Kalvarija Festival or The Great Samogitian Calvary Festival ( lt, Didieji Žemaičių Kalvarijos atlaidai) is a Roman Catholic festival dedicated to St. Mary. The festival is held annually and takes place every July in the sm ...
, last for a week, attract thousands of people, and are major pilgrimage events.
Major parish festivals in Lithuania:
*Of the
Visitation
Visitation may refer to:
Law
* Visitation (law) or contact, the right of a non-custodial parent to visit with their children
* Prison visitation rights, the rules and conditions under which prisoners may have visitors
Music
* ''Visitation'' (D ...
of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Žemaičių Kalvarija
Žemaičių Kalvarija ( Samogitian: ''Žemaitiu Kalvarėjė'', pl, Kalwaria Żmudzka, en, Samogitian Calvary) is a small town in Plungė district municipality, Lithuania. It is known as a major site for Catholic pilgrimage.
Every July the tow ...
in July (see the
Great Žemaičių Kalvarija Festival
The Great Žemaičių Kalvarija Festival or The Great Samogitian Calvary Festival ( lt, Didieji Žemaičių Kalvarijos atlaidai) is a Roman Catholic festival dedicated to St. Mary. The festival is held annually and takes place every July in the sm ...
)
*Of the
Assumption
Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Assumption may also refer to:
Places
* Assumption, Alberta, Canada
* Assumption, Illinois, United States
** Assumption Town ...
Krekenava
Krekenava ( pl, Krakinów; yi, קרקינובה, Krakinova) is a town (population 1,375) in Panevėžys district municipality in northern Lithuania, on the bank of Nevėžis.
History
From 1409 it was the center of Upytė poviat, the first woode ...
in August
*Of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Šiluva
Šiluva is a small town of less than 700 inhabitants in Lithuania. It is located in the region of Samogitia. It is a major site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania.
History
Šiluva was first mentioned in 1457 in relation to the building of th ...
in September
*Of
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn
''Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn'' ( lt, Aušros Vartų Dievo Motina, pl, Matka Boska Ostrobramska, be, Маці Божая Вастрабрамская, german: Mutter Gottes vor den Toren der Morgenröte, ua, Богородиця біля бр ...
in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
in November
*Of Saints Peter and Paul in Vilnius in June
*Of Our Lady of Trakai in
Trakai
Trakai (; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a historic town and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. T ...