10/01/2026
Ancient Lithuanians lived in a world where the seasons were perceived not as four, but as two: winter and summer. Therefore, Pusiaužiemis (Midwinter) marked not only the middle of winter but the very beginning of its decline. They used to say: "At Midwinter, the bear turns onto its other side"—meaning that even in the deepest freeze, the sleeping animals feel the turning point. The bear, the badger, the hedgehog—they wake for a moment, look around, and the rest of the winter depends on what they see.
If the animal sees its shadow, the frost will hold, and spring will be late. If there is no shadow, winter will retreat sooner. These stories were not mere superstitions; they were a mythical model of observing nature, where the animal becomes a mediator between man and the cosmic rhythm.
Midwinter was also called Kirmėlinė—the Day of the Worms. It was believed that life begins to stir beneath the earth right now: worms, snakes, and serpents awaken, and bees begin to move in their hives. It is a sign that the earth is no longer dead—it is only sleeping.
The grass snake—the guardian of the home and of life—was of particular importance. During Kirmėlinė, people would invite the household snakes to the feast table, letting them "christen" the food by taking the first bite. Here, "to christen" (krikštyti) did not mean a religious rite, but a beginning, an entry into a new cycle. It was the germ of a new year, realized through the awakening of the earth.
As with any transitional time, strict prohibitions were in place during Midwinter to maintain cosmic balance. People did not spin or card wool, so that moths would not destroy their clothes. They did not take up an axe, so that woodworms would not infest the timber. They did not bring firewood from the forest, fearing that snakes might crawl into the yard.
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