page_title: Romuva (religion)
section_title: Romuva centres
hierarchical_section_title: Romuva (religion) / Romuva centres
caption_attribution_description: English: Žemaičių Alka (Samogitian Alka) - reconstructed pagan observatory in Šventoji, Lithuania. Lietuvių: Žemaičių Alka - pagoniška šventavietė su paleoastronomine observatorija Šventojoje.
context_page_description: Romuva is a modern revival of the religious practices of the Lithuanians before their Christianization in 1387. Practitioners of Romuva claim to continue living Baltic pagan traditions which survived in folklore and customs. Romuva is a polytheistic pagan faith which asserts the sanctity of nature and ancestor worship. Practicing the Romuva faith is seen by many adherents as a form of cultural pride, along with celebrating traditional forms of art, retelling Baltic folklore, practising traditional holidays, playing traditional Baltic music, singing traditional dainos and songs as well as ecological activism and stewarding sacred places.
  Romuva primarily exists in Lithuania but there are also congregations of adherents in Australia, Canada, the United States, and England. There are also Romuviai in Norway, for whom a formal congregation is being organized. There are believers of Baltic pagan faiths in other nations, including Dievturība in Latvia. According to the 2001 census, there were approximately 1,200 people in Lithuania identifying with Romuva. That number jumped to around 5,100 in the 2011 census.
context_section_description: Samogitian Sanctuary was originally planned to be rebuilt on Birutė hill in Palanga but was not agreed to by the mayor of Palanga. Instead, it was built on a hill near Šventoji which also has 11 sculptures of pagan gods. There are four main festivals in a year:
  23 March – Vernal equinox
  22 June – Summer solstice
  23 September – Autumnal equinox
  20 December – Winter solstice
caption: Samogitian Sanctuary
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