Calendar cycle and Ritual Songs of Lithuania

There are songs recommended during the year while performing the right rituals. There are songs of Shrovetide and Lent, Easter swinging songs, and Easter song known as lalavimai. The songs of arrival reflect the mood of staidness and reflection. Christmas songs contain vocals like leliu kaleda, kaleda kaledzieka and kaleda while the arrival songs contain vocals like aleliuma, leliumoj, aleliuma loda, aleliuma rita and others. There are several typical melodic characteristics associated with the Christmas ritual songs like the narrow range, dance rhythms, a tonal structure based on Phrygian, mixolydian or Aeolian tetrachords and three-measure phrases, a controlled slow tempo.

St. John’s Feast polyphonic songs are commonly known as kupolines which include refrains and vocals such as kuole roze, kupolio kupolelio and kupolele kupolio.