reikiniai

Reikiniai is a term used in Lithuanian ethnography to refer to a broad class of ceremonial or ritual objects regarded as necessary or meaningful within traditional practices. The term connotes items that function as requisites, tools, or symbols within rites rather than ordinary household goods. Its precise scope varies by region and community, and it is not fixed to a single catalogue of objects.

In ethnographic literature the word derives from the Lithuanian root reik- meaning to require or to signify, with a suffix that forms a plural noun. As such, reikiniai are defined by their function and significance within a rite rather than any single material or form.

Reikiniai appear in contexts such as harvest festivals, life-cycle ceremonies (births, weddings, funerals), house blessings, and seasonal rites. They may be functional objects (vessels, implements) or symbolic items (amulets, carved symbols). They are typically crafted with care and are sometimes endowed with symbolic power through blessing or ritual prior to use.

In modern scholarship reikiniai are studied as material culture that reflects belief systems, social structure, and identity. Some communities maintain traditional reikiniai within family or village customs, while museums and cultural programs document and present them as part of Lithuania’s intangible heritage.

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