Užgavėnės

Užgavėnės is the Lithuanian version of Mardi Gras, which takes place during the seventh week before Easter. Užgavėnės begins on the night before Ash Wednesday, when an effigy of winter (Morė) is burnt. Devils, witches, goats, Grim Reapers, Gypsies and other joyful and scary characters appear. During the holiday, the masqueraders dance and eat the traditional meal of the holiday - pancakes with every imaginable topping. In Vilnius, the celebration takes place on Gediminas avenue, on hilltops, and almost in every youth club.