Wind Days: A University Where Stars Share Light for Free

When November covers Vilnius with darkness and wind, Užupis answers with light. Wind Days are perhaps the Republic's most poetic tradition: at least four windy Saturdays after All Souls' Day, full of essays, poetry, jazz, film, blues and creative freedom.

Wind Days are also called the University of Užupis and the Užupis publishing house - not because of buildings or diplomas, but because of what happens there: once a year, known creators, "stars", freely and without pay share what they know and see. It is a school without exams and a publishing house without honoraria - pure sharing, described simply by the Constitution: "Everyone may share what they have."

The tradition has lived since November 11, 2000, when the first Wind Days took place. Since then they have returned every year and form one of the richest parts of the Užupis television archive.

Wind Days are a celebration of the darker half of the year, balancing the spring and summer celebrations. They follow All Souls' Day on November 2, when the Bernardine Cemetery is tended in Užupis and the work of Adam Mickiewicz is read, and they lead toward December - the Firewood Market and wakes.

The whole annual cycle of celebrations belongs in a separate calendar page and will be connected with the Visit section.

Further work: compile a year-by-year archive of Wind Days programmes with participants, themes and recordings; add photos and videos from Užupis television; collect poetry and essays read during Wind Days.