March  04
St. Casimir's Feastday
 

 

Price Casimir was the he second son of King Casimir IV and Queen Elizabeth of Poland  born i on October, 03 1458;  Rejecting even ordinary comforts, he slept on the floor after spending his nights in prayer.and was committed to a celebrate life.

When Casimir was thirteen he was offered the throne of Hungary by a Hungarian faction who were discontented under King Matthias Corvinus. Eager to defend the Cross against the Turks, he accepted the invitation and went to Hungary to receive the crown. He was unsuccessful, however, and returned a fugitive to Poland. When  the king went to Lithuania to spend five years arranging affairs there in 1479, Casimir returned to Cracow and was placed in charge of Poland from 1481 to 1483

His father tried to arrange a marriage for him, .but Casimir preferred to remain celibate Weakened by excessive fasting, he developed  tuberculosis.  He died on  March 04, 1484 on a journey to Lithuania. His remains were interred in the Cathedral  in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

His first miracle is considered to be his apparition in 1518 at the Dauguva River during the war with Moscow. A large Russian army had assembled and threatened the city of Polotsk. A rather small force of Lithuanians stood to defend the city and fortress. The Lithuanians had to cross the swollen Dauguva River. Unable to find other help, they prayed to the saintly prince to intercede. St. Casimir is said to have appeared to the Lithuanians astride a white horse, wearing a white cloak. He urged the army to fight and rode first into the roaring river. The Lithuanians followed his example, fought fiercely and defeated Moscow's troops. The news of the prince's miraculous apparition and the victory spread throughout the country.

Detail of the portrait of St. Casimir,
Altar picture. Franciscan church, Cracow

The miracle was investigated by bishops of that time and confirmed as authentic. The very fact that St. Casimir came to help in a battle against Lithuania's eternal enemy Moscow elevated him even higher in the eyes of the Lithuanians. Casimir became a symbol of the fight against the Russians and Russian Orthodoxy. and Casimir was canonized by Pope Adrian VI. Pope Clement VIII named  March 04 as his feast
Many pilgrims come to Vilnius from all over Lithuanian to celebrate his feastday  After services in the cathedral, they attend the  Kaziuko muge (Casimir's Fair) a folk crafts fair dating back to the beginning of the 17th centurywhere the most popular food sold are muginukas,  heart-shaped honey cookies, which visitors buy  and give  to their loved ones.
 
 

Muginukas
(Lithuanian Honey Cookies)

These are similar to the recipe for Mézeskalács (Hungarian Honey Cookies (November 11).
 

 

Ingredients
 		  
1 cup honey
3 eggs
3 TB sugar
3 TB cream
4 oz butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

 		 1/4 tsp cloves
grated zest of 2 oranges
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

 		  
Instructions
  1. Cream eggs with sugar, pour in honey, melted (cooled) butter, spices, zest and cream. Blend well. Mix the flour with baking soda and the baking powder, stir into the other ingredients.
  2. Knead dough until it does not stick to hands . Cover and refrigerate about half hour. Roll out on floured surface; cut out hearts with a cookie cutter  Bake at 3500 F until golden brown (about 10-15 min.).
 

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Makes approximately 18- 24 cookies depending on size of cookie cutter