Kaziukas' Fair in Vilnius

The day of St Casimir in Vilnius (Kaziukas Fair)

Kaziuko mugė (English: Kaziukas Fair) is a large annual folk arts and crafts fair dating to the beginning of the 17th century. It was originally held at the two main markets in Vilnius, Lithuania, as well as in the city streets.

Saint Casimir Jagiellon (Lithuanian: Kazimieras) (October 3, 1458 – March 4, 1484) was a royal prince of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who became a patron saint of Lithuania, Poland, and the young.
A member of the Jagiellon dynasty, St. Casimir was the grandson of Jogaila and the second son of king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Casimir IV and Queen Elisabeth Habsburg of Hungary. His maternal grandfather was the king Albert Habsburg of Hungary, king of Bohemia and "King of the Romans" of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the age of nine, St. Casimir was educated by Jan Długosz and Filippo Buonaccorsi. Casimir, eager to defend Christianity against the Turks, accepted the offer and went to Hungary to obtain the crown. His father, King Casimir IV, had him educated well concerning public affairs and when his brother Władysław, became king of Bohemia, Casimir became crown prince and heir to the throne of Poland.
In 1471, while King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary led a campaign in Bohemia, the Hungarian nobility conspired against him and called the thirteen years old Casimir to the Kingdom, so he could take over and be crowned. Casimir arrived to the fortress of Nitra, and then to Perény and Rozgony, but he had leave Hungary, as the King recovered full control and arrested the traitors.
Between 1479 and 1484 his father spent most of his time in Vilnius attending to the affairs of Lithuania, while Casimir acted as the vice-regent in Poland. Between 1481 and 1483, he administered the state with great prudence and justice. His father tried to arrange a marriage with a daughter of Emperor Frederick III, but Casimir preferred to remain single. Weakened by excessive fasting, he developed severe lung problems, possibly tuberculosis. On a journey to Lithuania in 1484, he died at Hrodna. His remains were burried in Vilnius and now they rest in the baroque Saint Casimir's Chapel in the Vilnius Cathedral.
St. Casimir lived and reigned with great dignity and possessed great charm and character. Several miracles are ascribed to him. He was canonized by Pope Adrian VI in 1522 and is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. On June 11, 1948, Pope Pius XII named Saint Casimir the special patron of all youth.

Kaziukas Fair is traditionally held on the Sunday nearest to St. Casimir's Day, March 4, the day Saint Casimir died. In Lithuanian, Kaziukio mugė means "Little Casimir's" Fair (Kaziukas is a diminutive of Casimir). Today, Kaziuko fair also features music and dance; it attracts tens of thousands of visitors and many craftsmen from all over the country as well as from neighbouring states such as Latvia, Russia, and Poland.

Kaziukas Fair is different from other traditional festivals first of all because of its deep historical tradition. It is like echo of ethnographic traditions. It originated from the ceremonies of the religious festivals of st Casimir in the beginning of the 17th century and has been held traditionally every year on the day of saint Casimir – the 4th March. This fair gradually became very popular and developed into a three-day feast of crafts and folk traditions.

This festival declares the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring. In ancient Lithuania people were given permission to merchandise freely in the central square on the day of St Casimir. The merchants made a good deal of money and the people were satisfied with the choice, quality and prices of the good on offer. As both sides were happy, people wanted to celebrate, have fun dancing, singing, organizing processions and street performances.