Calendar / Uzgavenes
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Witness / Attend in Rumsiskes
Uzgavenes
Feb 9, 2027ExpectedUzgavenes 2027
No overall organizer. Open-Air Museum of Lithuania anchors the event; the rest belongs to the streets.
Dates & details verified against: The institution itself ↗
Why go
Uzgavenes is Lithuania's Shrovetide carnival, a pre-Lenten rite to chase out winter that predates the Christian calendar wrapped around it, and the Open-Air Museum at Rumsiskes stages the biggest version of it in the country. Villagers and visitors put on carved wooden masks of devils, goats, witches and the Jew-and-Hungarian trader figures, parade between the historic farmsteads, stage the mock battle of the fat Lasininis against the lean Kanapinis, and finally burn a straw effigy called More to end winter. You eat your way through stacks of pancakes as you go. It is folk tradition performed as living practice, in the open air, rather than displayed behind glass.
When it runs
Held on Shrove Tuesday (Uzgavenes) each year, a movable date 47 days before Easter, at the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania in Rumsiskes. Upcoming: 17 February 2026; 9 February 2027.
- Feb 9, 2027ExpectedUzgavenes 2027
- Ran Feb 17, 2026Uzgavenes 2026
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
Uzgavenes is a movable feast tied to the church calendar, falling on Shrove Tuesday, 47 days before Easter, in February or early March. The Rumsiskes carnival is an outdoor winter event, so dress for cold, snow or mud. Dates: 17 February 2026; 9 February 2027.
Getting there & around
Rumsiskes is about twenty kilometres east of Kaunas and roughly an hour and a half from Vilnius, just off the A1 highway; a car is easiest, though buses run from Kaunas. The museum grounds are very large and the carnival spreads across them, so expect a lot of walking outdoors. Buy museum entry on the day and check the published Shrovetide programme for the procession and More burning times.
Where it happens
Rumsiskes, Lithuania.
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