This national holiday receives a growing amount of attention
According to one of the respondents, February 16th is a very important celebration for her and her family. The fact that even her granddaughter already knows why this day is significant makes her extremely happy.
"As a former teacher, I always celebrate this national holiday. My family, as well as my colleagues, observe national traditions. Every year, I knit caps and gloves with specific patterns, while my granddaughter draws pictures on the same theme. Her drawings are mostly minimalistic, comprised of lines. It's always interesting for me to learn the meaning of her compositions. Sometimes we organize a kind of test and ask each other various questions. She surely can tell me something that she’s learned at school. This is how we improve," said the woman.
But how do young people view the commemoration of the State Restoration Day?
"If I'm in Vilnius, I try to attend some of the events held in the city. I find them interesting," said the young woman.
One of those interviewed admitted that the events organized on the occasion receive a growing amount of attention.
"For me, February 16th is the most important of all national holidays celebrated in Lithuania. In recent years, especially during the last decade, the amount of attention to this holiday has notably increased. I think that this is a good trend particularly because of the war that's going on not far from our country. February 16th is without any doubt an exceptional day for Lithuania as a country and for me as a citizen," said the man when answering Delfi questions.
Driven by strong national feelings he actively participates in various commemoration events.
"Usually, I go to official events and always try to listen to Vytautas Landsbergis' speech. It always attracts crowds of people and seeing them my heart is filled with joy," said the man.
What is a civic-minded individual?
The concept of civic-mindedness and citizenship can be interpreted differently. The residents of Vilnius were asked to name some qualities that describe a person as a civic-minded citizen.
"A civic-minded person is someone who shows concern for the condition and affairs of his or her community. Such people feel responsible for their native country and care about the unity of fellow citizens," one woman said.
"These are the people who actively engage in elections, who show concern for more than just their own backyard, who try to resolve community issues, and readily accept social challenges. In a broader sense, these are the people who celebrate national holidays, attend commemorative events, and demonstrate their devotion to their country," said another respondent.
"A civic-minded person should have at least some basic understanding of the current events in Lithuania as well as the neighboring countries. They should actively engage in social and community activities. However, if they wish to express their opinions, it is advisable to carefully analyze them before sharing them with others," said one more respondent.
Freedom is the basic value
When asked what the freedom of their country means to them, Lithuanians shared some truly meaningful ideas.
"To live in a free country is to live as a free person," said one of the respondents.
"Freedom is the foundation for everything. It is the primary condition for pursuing brave dreams and accomplishing meaningful deeds. It is the most important and precious value," admitted the second.
"Freedom is a condition of not being controlled and constrained when making decisions about your own life. It provides the capacity to act by your own choice rather than by the command of some czar or other authority," said one more citizen of Lithuania.