Marcy Couitt

Camp Neringa Through the Eyes of a Camping Mom

Marcy Couitt used to camp at the Neringa Children’s Heritage Camp when she was a little girl. Now Marcy has returned to Neringa to camp with her children at Family Camp!

It’s a lot of fun at Camp Neringa!

Labas! I am a second generation Lithuanian-American and I’d like to tell you a little about Camp Neringa’s Heritage Family Camp. Every year Heritage Family Camp meets for an extended weekend at Neringa in Brattleboro, Vermont during the summer. It is a great way to learn, share, and experience Lithuanian culture and history.

For the past five years each weekend has focused on a different theme; Jonines (the feast of St. John and the summer solstice), Kucios (Christmas Eve), Velykos (Easter), Uzgavenes (Shrove Tuesday) and the celebration of a Lithuanian wedding. Together, with all of the camping families, we learn how the particular traditions started, evolved, and how the holiday or event is still celebrated today.

A typical day is filled with fun, food and a variety of activities. Some activities are done separately by parents and children. There are blocks of time where the adults learn the traditions, origins, and crafts of a particular holiday; listen to a guest speaker about current events in Lithuania; or play a game of volleyball. At that time, the kids are divided into groups according to age and participate in sports, games, Lithuanian stories, and arts and crafts. Other activities are done together: family art projects, family games and dances, sing-a-longs and nature hikes. After lunch, which is buffet style with a Lithuanian flair, is "free time" -- a time for swimming in the "prudas" (the pond), naps for the toddlers, or maybe exploring nearby Brattleboro, which is an antique haven!

In the afternoon we share individual family customs and traditions: "Do you eat 7, 9 or 11 times on Uzgavenes (Shrove Tuesday)?" "Do you place straw under the tablecloth or throw shoes at the door during Kucios (Christmas Eve)?" At this time we also plan and create our own "Neringa celebration" of the holiday that we have focused on and which we enjoy on the last night of family camp (which might mean celebrating Kucios in August!)

These are just some of the things we’ve experienced, shared, and learned at Family Camp. Come join us this year as we celebrate Neringa’s 30th birthday in true Lithuanian style and discover various traditions of the different regions of Lithuania.

For 30 years Camp Neringa has provided children and families of Lithuanian descent a summer full of camp sessions both in Lithuanian and in English. Programs are filled with cultural activities, opportunities for personal growth and of course lots of summer camp fun! 1999 sessions in English include a children’s session for children 7-16 years old from August 8 to 21, and the family camp is from August 21 to 24. For more information regarding these sessions or sessions in Lithuanian, please contact Dana Grajauskaite at 617-923-4583 or neringai@yahoo.com

Photo: D. Grajauskaite