Saint Casimir's Fair

Origins across centuries

St. Casimir was canonized in 1602. Local merchants established a market alongside celebrations for his feast day. In 1827, city authorities granted permission to gather in Vilnius Cathedral Square. The market relocated several times, including moves to Lukiškės Square in 1901 and Kalvarijos Market during Soviet rule. In 1991, the event returned to the Old Town. It has since grown across Gediminas Avenue, Cathedral Square, Pilies Street, and along the Vilnia River toward the Tymas Quarter. Except for pauses during World War II and a temporary digital format during the pandemic, the gathering has taken place continuously.

Easter palms and sweet hearts

Two handcrafted items define the fair: decorated palms and gingerbread hearts. Known as verbos, the tall rods are tightly bound with up to one hundred and fifty varieties of dried wild plants and flowers. Traditionally blessed on Palm Sunday, they serve as enduring symbols of spring. Making verbos requires painstaking effort, and locating suitable herbs or vibrant dyes has become increasingly rare. Alongside these florals, bakers present the Casimir's Heart. These heart-shaped gingerbread biscuits are decorated with sugary names, birds, and floral patterns. Buyers often gift them to relatives or bring them home to friends who could not attend the festivities.

Artisans, food, and music

The three-day fair gathers thousands of regional woodcarvers, potters, blacksmiths, knitters, and wicker weavers from across Lithuania and neighbouring Baltic countries. Beside handmade utensils, footwear, toys, and textiles, open-air vendors offer traditional Lithuanian foods. Visitors snack on crusty rye bread, ring-shaped bubliks, raw honey, and bright sweets, washed down with beer or fermented gira. Throughout the city streets, live musical ensembles, folk dancers, and theatrical acts perform for the crowds. The tradition has also expanded beyond Vilnius to towns such as Kaunas, Alytus, and Klaipėda, as well as Polish and Belarusian cities.

How Saint Casimir's Fair is kept

Over a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday, artisans and merchants set up stalls across the streets of central Vilnius. Woodworkers, potters, and weavers present handmade wares alongside rows of traditional foods like rye loaves, honey, and gira. Shoppers browse colourful verbos woven from dried flowers and purchase decorated gingerbread hearts for loved ones. Meanwhile, street musicians, folk dance groups, and theatrical troupes stage performances along the market routes, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors through the historic avenues.

When and where

The fair takes place every year during the weekend nearest to 4 March, which marks the feast day of Saint Casimir and the anniversary of his death. Celebrations begin on Friday and conclude on Sunday.

The main fair takes place across the Old Town and central avenues of Vilnius, Lithuania. Similar gatherings are held in other Lithuanian cities like Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Alytus, as well as in Poland, Belarus, and overseas community halls.

What Saint Casimir's Fair means

The fair began as a civic and religious observance honoring Saint Casimir following his canonization. Over time, items sold at the market took on their own meanings. The dried-flower verbos carry religious significance for Palm Sunday while welcoming the return of spring. The Casimir's Heart gingerbread expresses affection between family and friends, acting as a warm token for those unable to visit the fair in person.

On the table

• Rye bread
• Bubliks
• Gingerbread
• Honey
• Beer
• Gira
• Hard candy

Days Saint Casimir's Fair is marked

Questions people ask about Saint Casimir's Fair

See also

Mother's DayA worldwide annual celebration dedicated to mothers, maternal bonds and family careHanamiA Japanese spring custom of gathering under blooming cherry trees to eat, drink, and celebrate the fleeting beauty of thGroundhog DayA February ritual where communities watch a groundhog emerge to predict the length of winter.LosarThe Tibetan Buddhist New Year festival of renewal, offerings, and family feasts

Good reading and sources

• Kaziuko mugė on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.