A Little Bit About My Lithuanian Heritage

I was born in Hamilton Ontario, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in the cold month of February to immigrant parents who had arrived from Lithuania, a small country in Europe, two decades prior.  My mom came from Žagarė and my dad from Marijampolė. Although they missed their homeland, they settled into life in Canada and were very proud to call Canada their new home. 

There was a healthy and vibrant Lithuanian community back then in Hamilton and the church (Our Lady of Mercy) with the attached Youth Centre was quite the gathering place. I have so many fond memories of my time there and appreciate that I was a part of it. The church remains open and offers mass once a month in Lithuanian to a very small group of regulars, as well as a monthly English mass. I have managed to maintain ties with so many and am so grateful that I have.

Lithuania, officially known as the Republic of Lithuania is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea and is one of the 3 Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). Its’ borders are shared with Latvia, Poland, Belarus, and Kaliningrad (Russia). A small country in size and population with only about 2.8 million people. The Main language spoken is Lithuanian, and did you know it is one of the oldest languages in the world?   Due to its’ proximity to other countries and tourism, many citizens also speak Russian, Polish and English. Hello in Lithuanian is “labas”.

Although Canadians love their hockey, Lithuanians are all about basketball and several have made it to the NBA (Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valančiūnas, Ignas Brazdeikis). Lithuanians also love their beet soup and a variety of dishes made with potatoes and meat. Let’s not forget the beer, so many interesting tastes and colours to choose from.

I was fortunate enough to have travelled to Lithuania 4 times, the last being 2019, and was greeted by my fantastic family members and friends who made my time there an absolute joy. Speaking the language definitely helps and I am thankful that growing up speaking Lithuanian was a very important part of my day. I hope to someday travel back to Lithuania, walk down the cobblestone paths lined with numerous boutiques and cafés and experience the fresh air of the pine forests. A little gem waiting to be explored.

As a REALTOR® I love meeting people and getting to know them, not just what type of home they want to purchase or sell, but also who they are, what they enjoy and what they have experienced in life. Anyone out there thinking about buying or selling your home give me a call, I would love to chat with you in English or Lithuanian. What’s your heritage? Maybe we have a lot in common.

Interested in Buying or Selling your home? Contact me at 905-317-3934 or email karolina@oaknco.ca