Lithuania Independence Day
BOOK HOTELS & FLIGHTS
Book stays for Lithuania Independence Day
AREA
OneSliders may earn a commission if you book through Booking.com.
- 1253Mindaugas crowned — first and only King of Lithuania
- 1918Act of Independence of Lithuania signed in Vilnius on 16 February
- 1990Lithuania becomes first Soviet republic to declare restoration of independence
Why Lithuania celebrates 16 February
On 16 February 1918, the Council of Lithuania signed the Act of Independence — Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės aktas — in Vilnius, declaring the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state. The declaration asserted that Lithuania was re-establishing its sovereign existence, emphasising the continuity with the medieval Kingdom of Lithuania.
Lithuania had one of the most powerful states in medieval Europe — at its height in the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. After centuries of Polish-Lithuanian union, partitioning by Russia and WWI German occupation, the 1918 declaration restored an identity that had been suppressed but never extinguished.
Lithuania was also the first Soviet republic to declare restoration of independence in March 1990 — sparking a domino effect across the USSR. The "singing revolution" — mass peaceful gatherings including the Baltic Way, a human chain across all three Baltic states — showed that the independence movement had overwhelming public support.
- 202616 February 2026 · Monday
- 202716 February 2027 · Tuesday
- 202816 February 2028 · Wednesday
The Lithuanian flag has three equal horizontal bands of yellow, green and red. Yellow represents the sun, wheat and prosperity. Green represents the forests, the countryside and the hope for the future. Red symbolises the blood of those who died for Lithuania's freedom. The colours were used in the 1918 republic and restored in 1989.
Lithuanian cuisine is Baltic and central European — amber-coloured, flavoured with dill, juniper and caraway, built on potatoes, pork, dairy and rye bread.
What to eat
CepelinaiGiant potato dumplings — shaped like zeppelins, filled with minced pork and served with sour cream and bacon sauce.
ŠaltibarščiaiCold pink beet soup with cucumber, dill and hard-boiled egg — the Lithuanian summer classic.
Žemaičių blynaiPotato pancakes stuffed with meat — a heavier variation of the draniki, from the Samogitia region.
KugelisBaked potato pudding with bacon and onion — dense, golden and comforting.
ŠakotisSpit cake made by ladling batter over a rotating skewer — the festive cake at Lithuanian weddings.
KibinaiKaraite pastry from Trakai — semicircular pastries filled with lamb or beef.What to drink
MidusLithuanian mead — fermented honey wine with herbs, one of the world's oldest alcoholic drinks.
KrupnikasLithuanian honey liqueur spiced with herbs, cinnamon and cloves — warm in winter.
Svyturys beerLithuania's most celebrated lager brand, brewed in Klaipėda since 1784.Lithuania culture
Lithuanian culture is shaped by its pagan past — Lithuania was the last country in Europe to convert to Christianity — and by an intense 20th-century struggle for independence. Amber, folk singing, song festivals and basketball are central to national identity.
Hill of CrossesA pilgrimage site near Šiauliai — hundreds of thousands of crosses placed as acts of faith and national resistance.
Song and Dance CelebrationLithuania's mass choral festival — held every four years with thousands of singers and dancers.
Trakai CastleIsland castle in the middle of a lake — the seat of medieval Lithuanian grand dukes.
BasketballLithuania is the most passionate basketball nation in Europe — qualifying for the Olympics multiple times.