Symboles
THE LITHUANIAN FLAG AND ITS MEANING
The Lithuanian national flag consists in three horizontal stripes: yellow on top, green in the middle and red at the bottom. The colors of the flag were chosen from various aspects such as the nature and Lithuanian values (yellow: amber and the sun, green forests and fields, red: the bloodshed for the fatherland).
In ancient times, Lithuanian had several flags. During the Battle of Grünwald, between the Polish-Lithuanian army to the Teutonic knights, the flag of Great Duchy of Lithuania was red with a white knight above, the Vytis. At the end of the nineteenth century, discussions on the choice of the flag started again.
Many combinations of two or three colors in the national costumes (red, yellow, green, white) were used in national flags. The current flag, and its colors were chosen by a special commission (Jonas Basanavičius, Tadas Daugirdas, Antanas Zmuidzinavicius) appointed by the Lithuanian Council, after the restoration of independence (on 16th February 1918). On 19 April 1918, the Lithuanian Council approved the design of the flag proposed by the commission.
After the occupation and the annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union, the Lithuanian flag was banned and anyone who hung it at home or in public was very severely punished. Lithuanian flags emerged publicly at rallies crowd in 1988 organized by the movement for independence of Lithuania, Sajudis. The flag was legalized first as the first national flag (in the USSR), then as the flag of the independent state of Lithuania, on 18 November 1988.
LITHUANIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM: « TAUTIŠKA GIESMĖ »
The Lithuanian national anthem and its author
It Lithuanian name is Tautiska Giesme, which means "The National Song". It lyrics and music were written by an active character in the first movement for the independence of Lithuania, a journalist from the end of the nineteenth century, writer and physicist, Sir Vincas Kudirka (1858-99). The text of this song appeared for the first time in the clandestine newspaper Lithuanian VARP (“The Bell"). The Tautiska Giesme was the anthem of the independent Republic of Lithuania between the wars (1918-40).
After the annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union in 1940, the anthem was forbidden. Just two official anthems were allowed: the one of the Soviet Union and the one of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Lithuania.
During the years of occupation, people who were singing the Tautiska Giesme were persecuted.
The anthem was again publicly sung in the summer of 1988, and November 18 of that year has thus become the new national anthem.
The Lithuanian national anthem in the constitution:
The national anthem of Lithuania is mentioned in the Constitution at the Article 16.
Tautiška giesmė:
Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų
Tu didvyrių žeme,
Iš praeities Tavo sūnūs
Te stiprybę semia.
Tegul Tavo vaikai eina
Vien takais dorybės,
Tegul dirba Tavo naudai
Ir žmonių gėrybei.
Tegul saulė Lietuvoj
Tamsumas prašalina,
Ir šviesa, ir tiesa
Mūs žingsnius telydi.
Tegul meilė Lietuvos
Dega mūsų širdyse,
Vardan tos Lietuvos
Vienybė težydi!
English translation:
Lithuania, our homeland,
Land of heroes!
Let your sons draw their strength
From our past experience
Let your children always follow
Only roads of virtue,
May your own, mankind’s well-being
Be the goals they work for
May the sun above our land
Banish darkening clouds around
Light and truth all along
Guide our steps forever
May the love of Lithuania
Brightly burn in our hearts.
For the sake of this land
Let unity blossom
(Wikipédia translation)
