Day of Restoration of the State of Lithuania (Lietuvos valstybės atkūrimo diena)

On 16^th of February the “Act of Independence of Lithuania” from 1918 is celebrated all over the country. This act once announced the restoration of the independence of Lithuania, having been partitioned by Russia, Prussia, and Austria until then. Even though this act could not come into force until the Russian Empire slowly lost its power and Germany lost the First World War and Lithuania soon afterwards was under the regime of the Soviet Union, the currently effective Lithuanian constitution is still based on that act as it proclaims the country to be governed according to democratic principles and Vilnius to be the Capital.

As the 16^th of February is a national holiday, our school celebrated the Act of Independence already on February 12^th. On that occasion, all classes gathered in the school’s foyer and students from the Panevėžio Vytauto Mikalausko Mewų Mokykla gave a little concert, singing songs accompanied by their music teacher on the piano. Afterwards some of our students read out quotes fitting to the event. Additionally, they had painted pictures of sights and symbols associated with Lithuania’s independence, as the Gediminas castle and television tower in Vilnius and the Lithuanian flag which were put up in the school’s hallway.

On February 16^th and the days before there were a lot of celebrations throughout the country and the president of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė, gave a speech in Vilnius. Panevėžys was decorated with paper hearts resembling the Lithuanian flag and Emily brought paper flags from Vilnius that said “Su Gimtadieniu, Lietuva” (Happy Birthday, Lithuania) on it.

Fine