KRIKŠČIONIŠKOSIOS VERTYBĖS LIETUVIŲ ŠEIMOS PAPROČIUOSE
THE CHRISTIAN VALUES IN THE CUSTOMS OF LITHUANIAN FAMILY

Summary/Abstract: The article analyzes the Christian values in the customs of Lithuanian family at the end of the 19th - beginning of 21th century. The work is based on field investigation materials gathered by the author in 1992-2004 in all ethnic regions of Lithuania. In the family customs the Christian values showed in Christian ethics shape. The formation of a child’s Christian values and moral qualities was influenced by the village community. At baptism it was represented by mother, midwife, godparents who initiated the baby into family, the Christian and rural community. In wedding customs the Christian values also showed in Christian ethics shape. Until the Second World War abortion and divorce were a rather rare phenomenon because most people observed religious and traditional moral norms. Divorce was considered to be the greatest dishonor for both family and also rural. Traditional Lithuanian cultural values concerning family life start vanishing after the Second World War. After the Republic of Lithuania has revived, new conditions of life had a considerable influence on values of a contemporary family. Transformation of social, economic, political life has caused remarkable changes in traditional family life. At the end of the 20 th century a traditional Lithuanian family experienced changes of the transitive period. The necessity to adapt to new surroundings, future uncertainty stimulated the youth to create new forms of partnership in the family. Cohabitation before marriage, postponement of marriage for a later age (until the birth of the first child or later), migration to abroad, a small number of birth and the increasing number of illegitimate childbirth - these phenomena are characteristic of modern Lithuanian village family. These phenomena were connected with globalization.

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