Kalendorinių švenčių diskursas tarpukario Lietuvos periodikoje ; The discourse of calendar holidays in periodicals of Lithuania during the interwar period

Abstract

The article analyses the discourse of calendar holidays in the Lithuanian periodicals of 1918–1940. The aim of the research is to find out the specifics of this discourse, its causes and effects on actual celebration of the holidays. The Lithuanian periodicals of 1918–1940 were analysed as the source of the research. The selection of newspapers included those representing official policy of the country during the interwar period (i.e. "Lietuva" and "Lietuvos aidas") and, for comparison, those representing the attitudes of other popular political parties of the period and had big printrun (i.e. "Lietuvos žinios" and "XX amžius"). Research methods that are used: qualitative analysis of the content, systematization, interpretation. The research coincide with the theoretical approach of social constructionism that all social phenomena (including understanding traditionalism of different holidays and their customs) are social constructs. It also supports the theoretical insights of Stuart Hall, who claim that the media is functioning in favour of the dominant ideology of the time which determines specific interpretations of events, as well as Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw's views maintaining that the media indicates what to think and what to think about it. Performed analysis of the publications shows that the publications of the interwar period paid exclusive attention to three celebrated holidays – Easter, Christmas and New Year. Other specific calendar days compared to these mentioned holidays were rarely distinguished. [.]