‘What Do You Mean by Calendar Holidays?’ – Towards the Nomenclature, Popularity and Research History of Annual Festivities in Lithuanian Ethnology

Abstract

The historiographical paper focuses on the history of popular and academic research of calendar year holiday celebrations in Lithuania as well as on the classification and terminology used for defining them. Changes in relevant popular and academic interest, certain circumstances of the popularity of examining holidays and their customs are discussed, and scientific discourse is contrasted with public discourse. The cultural, social, and ideological circumstances of the development and dissemination of terminology related to the topic are explored. In addition, the influence of certain personalities and institutions that formed the terminology of calendar year celebrations will be reviewed. The paper is based on the analysis of academic and popular science literature, internet resources, as well as the public discourse of annual holidays.