The Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations

Since 1924, every four or five years, Lithuanians from all over the world join the majestic National Song and Dance Festival. Held over several summer days, open-air dances, songs and music unite up to 40,000 craftsmen, singers and dancers dressed in traditional costumes, and more than 300,000 spectators in an authentic expression of their identity. In the 20^th century mass choral singing acquired widespread popularity as a means of asserting Lithuanian cultural identity through the tradition passed down from generation to generation. With the collapse of the Soviet Union a new national awakening took place, characterized by the spontaneous singing of thousands in mass rallies historically known as the Singing Revolution. The Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.