On Saturday, the Day of Happiness was celebrated in Kaunas, and it coincided with the opening of museums and galleries. The lockdown restrictions which are still in place became a challenge for the Day of Happiness events, but the organizers looked at the situation creatively. Music was played through the windows and on the roofs. Kaunas residents were invited to celebrate happiness by the team of “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022“, Kaunas City Municipality and various cultural institutions.

“We are happy to give Kaunas residents pleasant moments in a safe, unexpected and slightly different way. For many, this period has been difficult, hard to overcome, alarming, and much longer than imagined. Therefore, on the Day of Happiness, we invite you to look in another direction, just raise your eyes, enjoy beautiful music and share a smile with those closest to you,” said Mantas Jurgutis, Deputy Mayor of Kaunas City.
The Happiness Bus started the festive day, leaving from Kaunas bus station to Kaunas district, and the music by Jurga, ambassador of Kaunas 2022, bands Golden Parazyth, Flash Voyage and other artists was played through its windows.
Later, on the roof of M. Žilinskas Gallery, a performance was staged by the band Garbanotas bosistas and dancers, near the Čiurlionis Museum – the Air Force Orchestra, and the Ąžuolynas Orchestra greeted passers-by through the windows of the municipality building.
Historical Presidential Palace and Musical Theatre also joined the events of the Day of Happiness in Kaunas with the singers of the latter welcoming the residents of the city from the balcony of the Historical Presidential Palace. Among other participants were sports community “Šešios trim” which arranged a multi-sport workout on the roof of one high-rise building, various museums, cultural and social organizations of Kaunas.
What is the disinfected happiness like? The dancers of Kaunas Dance Theatre “Aura” and the State Musical Theatre were looking for an answer to this question through movements. They marched through the main streets of Kaunas Old Town and in Laisvės Alėja, and passers-by were able to observe their transformation of happiness – the embodiment of different characters and improvisations with body movements.
Nuepiko dance troupe with representatives of Kaunas contemporary dance and circus greeted Kaunas residents on the street near the Akropolis mall. Alternately, when the red light was on, dances and improvisations were displayed here.
National Kaunas Drama Theatre invited everybody to the outdoor gallery “Theatre Gallery 100: personalities make history”. This year’s International Film Festival “Kino pavasaris” which had just started, presented a short animated film and video-audio installation in Kaunas bus station, dedicated to the Day of Happiness; while in Kaunas Railway Station, a tale of happiness from the book of Kaunas Beast fairy tales “How on a Warm Summer Night the Beast Talks to Chef Vasiliauskas About Happiness” was read every hour until late evening.
A concert by Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra was performed on the occasion of the Day of Happiness. The concert, which took place in the Great Hall of the War Museum, was broadcasted live, during which works by J. Naujalis, W.A. Mozart, A. Piazzolla, E. Grieg, E.Y. Harburg, E. Chabro were performed.
The Day of Happiness was not limited to events only. “Time to rise” – such theme was chosen by the organizers this year, inviting everyone to see into their feelings and focus on the things that bring happiness. Even in difficult circumstances, happiness is not far off, it is nearby.
“In the time of global pandemic, we began to appreciate differently the things that previously seemed natural to us: meeting friends, going to the movies or a theatre performance, visiting galleries and museums, or watching a basketball game in an arena full of fans. As we have to forgo it all for quite some time, the happiness factor for many of us has also gone down. Therefore, on this Day of Happiness we talk and pay more attention to our emotions and feelings, and at the same time we invite to rise and discover creative and safe ways to brighten our current daily routine,” – said the organizer of the Day of Happiness, Irutė Tumaitė.
From noon, not only Kaunas residents, but also all the people of Lithuania have been directly reached by the “Happiness Marathon” – shares of good practice and success stories that touch on various aspects of our happiness and the state of feeling happy.
During the marathon, various specialists – psychologists, lifestyle coaches, scientists, famous people shared their knowledge and experiences on how and where to look for seeds of happiness in us, how to let go of our anxieties, learn introspection, and at the helm of the marathon stood the ambassador of the “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022” Day of Happiness, journalist, author of the blog “Laimės dieta” (Happiness Diet), host of radio and television shows, Rimantė Kulvinskytė.
About the Day of Happiness

  • In 2018, the team of the project “Kaunas and Kaunas District – European Capital of Culture 2022” became the official ambassadors of the International Day of Happiness in Lithuania, convinced that Kaunas is a city of happy people.
  • Celebrating happiness around the world began in 2013.  International Day of Happiness is a celebration initiated by the United Nations to strengthen one of the most important emotions in everyone’s life – happiness.

Museums, libraries, schools, kindergartens, communities, companies, etc. join the Day of Happiness in Kaunas and the district every year.