- Title: LITHUANIA: LITHUANIAN MAN CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ALL YEAR ROUND.
- Date: 7th August 2004
- Summary: (CEEF) SIMANISHKES , LITHUANIA (AUGUST 7, 2004) (REUTERS) WIDE OF SIMANISHKES VILLAGE MECHISLOVAS VAITKEVICHIUS WALKING BY TOYS ON THE WINDOWSILL VAITKEVICHIUS TURNS ON LIGHTS CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS GARLANDS SOUNDBITE (Lithuanian) MECHISLOVAS VAITKEVICHIUS TALKING WITH FAKE PARROT "Happy New Year" ENTERING IN ROOM TELLYTUBBIES DOLLS ON WALL CLOSE UP DECORATION WITH BRANCHES VARIOUS OF CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS CHRISTMAS TREES ROTATING SOFT TOYS CLOSE UP SWITCH ON CAROUSEL 1 CAROUSEL ROTATING SOUNDBYTE (Lithuanian) MECHISLOVAS VAITKEVICHIUS SAYING: "Christmas and new year is celebrated just once a year, but I like to celebrate every day" ROOM VIEW PAN HOUSE OUTSIDE VIEW
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SIMANISHKES, LITHUANIA
- City:
- Country: Lithuania
- Topics: General,Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAANOKNKW3RG10ZJRO45HAIN92W
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Lithuanian man celebrates Christmas and New Year all year round.
It might be sweltering hot across much of Europe, but for Lithuanian Mechislovas Vaitkevichius, it's Christmas and New Year's every day.
The 64 year old former electrician spent the past 17 years transforming his entire house into a year round celebration of Christmas and New Year.
His massive collection includes more than 20,000 lamps, some 3000 toys and at least 30 Christmas trees, not to mention a robotic talking parrot.
His only bow to the seasons is the use of birch branches as decoration instead of fir trees because of their fresh smell Vaitkevichius first began decorating shops and town squares 40 years ago, for Soviet era holidays like May 1st and October 7th and New Year.
But since the fall of the Soviet Union he has turned his attention to his favourite holidays.
"Christmas and New Year is celebrated just once a year, but I like to celebrate every day", he told Reuters.
Although his display is never dismantled, it is slowly evolving.
Each year he spends at least one thousands Euro adding new decorations and touches. But that's peanuts compared to his electric bill.
Vaitkevichius estimates that comes to at least 7000 euro a year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None