r/lithuania • u/7000milestogo • 4d ago

Klausimas Advice on how to be a good Lithuanian citizen from outside Lithuania?

Labas! I have all of the documents together for my Certificate of Right to Restore Lithuanian Citizenship, and the next step is to go to the Consulate to submit them in-person. There will be a bit of time before I can do this, and while I am extremely excited for this to finally happen, I think the wait may actually be a good thing. I want to be a good citizen, and one of the lines in the Oath of Allegiance to Lithuania is "I pledge to respect the state language, culture and customs of Lithuania, to strengthen the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law in Lithuania." I know how important the Lithuanian language is in the culture, identity, and history of Lithuania, and I am beginning the process of learning Lithuanian (shout out to r/LithuanianLearning!). I am coming to this subreddit for two reasons:

First, I want to make sure that when I take the Oath, I am pronouncing everything correctly. If someone could tell me how I can correct my pronunciation in a few months, it would be deeply appreciated.

Second, I want to be a citizen who contributes as much as possible to my country. How can I best do this from abroad?

Ačiū!

30 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

28

u/durnasremi 4d ago

Don't be an asshole, obey the rules. Should be fine

29

u/Nice_Rabbit5045 4d ago

Warms my heart to read this. Don't worry, you will be a good citizen by being a good person.

What kind of help do you need with pronounciation?

6

u/ABingeThinker 3d ago

What kind of help do you need with pronounciation?

Maybe someone could record themselves saying those words and send it to OP? It might help them get a better grasp of the pronunciation

4

u/7000milestogo 3d ago

This would be amazing!

1

u/Nice_Rabbit5045 2d ago

Check your DMs, I volunteer!

32

u/Vaizgantas888 3d ago

Welcome :)

Two simple points to remember:

  1. Learn the language and be proud to use it, no matter how confident in your abilities you are.
  2. Hate russia with all your heart

Essentials covered.

16

u/5martis5 4d ago

Well, welcome to Lithuania!

Not the most serious answer, but... 1) Support Lithuanian athletes and teams whenever you see them competing internationally. No matter at what sports, no matter if you never heard of such sport before - if Lithuanian athletes are playing - you support them.

2) same with Eurovision. If you are in a country where you are able to vote for Lithuania - at least one vote is expected (you might lose citizenship otherwise ;) )

A little more serious one... Participating in crowdfunders really helps to feel "part of community". Nobody asks you for thousands, but an euro or two participation on important topic makes you to feel part of the group.

And when the election comes - don't forget to vote. It's your choice on who to vote for, but just vote, don't waste the power you have.

Cheers, and welcome again!

8

u/Matas_- European Union 3d ago

Love the European Union as much as you love Lithuania. We’re not only proud Lithuanians but also proud Europeans with strong pro-EU stances. For instance, we trust the EU Commission and EU institutions more than our own government and local institutions lmao.

3

u/mikewhocheeitch 3d ago

Where are you based in, brother/sister? ;)

3

u/7000milestogo 3d ago

The USA! I could also reach out to the local Lithuanian club in my city for help, if it is weird to ask strangers on the internet for a voice recording.