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In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a performer wearing a traditional carnival mask takes part in Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
RUMSISKES, Lithuania (AP) - A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend. Chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase winter away.
After a long and dark winter, people in this Baltic country wanted to make the cold season go away by wearing colorful masks and dressing up, singing loudly and eating pancakes with toppings.
Onlooker Lukas Kazlauskas, a 43-year-old teacher, came with his family "to have fun and burn down More" - a giant doll symbolizing winter - and dance around the fire.
The centuries-old Ash Wednesday festivities, rooted in pagan and Christianity traditions, took place Sunday in Lithuania, a nation of nearly 3 million inhabitants sandwiched between Belarus, Latvia, Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave.
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, performers wearing a traditional carnival masks play accordions during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, spectators gather to watch a traditional carnival mask festival during the Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a performer wearing a traditional carnival mask takes part in Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a performer wearing a traditional carnival mask looks through a window in Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a girl runs past two performers wearing a traditional carnival mask during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a woman smiles posing with performers wearing a traditional carnival for a photo during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, woodcarver Saulius Tamulis works on a new mask during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a performer wearing a traditional carnival mask looks through a window during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, Traditional carnival masks made by woodcarver Saulius Tamulis are on display during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, a performer wearing a traditional carnival mask takes part in Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, A performer wearing a traditional carnival mask, center, flirts with the participants of Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, performers dressed like newlyweds take part in Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, performers wearing a traditional carnival mask, one of them in an old Soviet police uniform, center, dance during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
In this photo taken on Saturday, March 2, 2019, spectators watch as Lady Shrovetide is burning during Shrovetide celebrations, in Rumsiskes village, some 89 kilometers (56 miles) north of Vilnius, Lithuania. A strange scenario took place in this central Lithuania village this weekend, as chanting devils, goats, witches and others filled the streets to chase the long and dark winter away. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
