Event in Wisbech marks festival to chase away winter

There were pancakes galore at a special event in Wisbech on Saturday to mark an Easter festival.

Užgavėnės (pronounced ʊʒ'ɡaːvʲeːnʲeːs) is a Lithuanian festival that takes place during the seventh week before Easter (Ash Wednesday). Its name means "the time before Lent" and the celebration corresponds to Roman Catholic holiday traditions in other parts of the world, such as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, and Carnaval.

Užgavėnės begins on the night before Ash Wednesday, when an effigy of winter (usually named Morė) is burnt. A major element of the holiday, meant to symbolize the defeat of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, is a staged battle between Lašininis ("porky") personifying winter and Kanapinis ("hempen man") personifying spring.

It was celebrated early on Saturday with an event laid on by the Lithuanian Drama Club Pykšt Pokšt - which is run by Silvija Lipaviciene, Daiva Paulaviciene, and Rugile Lipaviciute with the help of Didieji Pokšt and others.

Normally Devils, witches, goats, the grim reaper, and other joyful and frightening characters appear in costumes during the celebrations and youngsters joining Saturday's festivities wore masks they had made especially.

Activities enjoyed at the event held at the Trinity Methodist Church included a tug of war between the porky and hempen man, the hempen man won, which means that we expect the warm spring weather to arrive soon.

There was a race between two teams, porky (adults) and hempen man (children) to see who could put the most rings on the poles and also a pancake race.

People were also able to tuck into a feast of different pancakes both savoury and sweet.

Participants chanted: "Žiema, žiema, bėk iš kiemo!'' to help scare away winter.

Pykšt Pokšt is planning future events including one on April 8 to mark Easter which will include egg decorating and throwing and May 7 to mark Lithuanian Mothers' Day.