Linkejimai! Welcome! Buy Online Today! As to where the inspiration for the candlehouses began, it's rather vague. One source tells the story of how candles played an important part in the drive for freedom. In 1991, when the Republic of Lithuania broke away from Russia, the Lithuanians showed their longing for freedom by placing lit candles in the windows of their houses. The candles blazing in the windows of thousands of homes validated the widespread endorsement for freedom. This image ignited the concept of making ceramic houses to resemble homes in the Lithuanian villages commemorating their unmitigated longing for freedom. Interesting morsels of Lithuanian facts and figures: Lithuania is the largest of the three Baltic States The three major cities are Vilnius (the capital), Kaunas and Klaipeda Vilnius is the largest with 415,000 people Lithuania is 65,200 sq. km. or about the size of West Virginia. The average temperature in January is 29°F More than 2,800 lakes are found in Lithuania The population of Lithuania was 3,701,000 on January, 1999 Formal Name: Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Republica) Short Name: Lieutuva Candlehouse Ltd., USA imports beautiful ceramic candlehouses that are created one by one, each individually, by artists in Lithuania. They are imported to the United States by Tracy Perrotta, owner of Candlehouse Ltd., who traveled to Lithuania in 1996 and 1998. From 1993-1998, the Perrotta Family lived in Germany where Chuck was assigned to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. In 1996, Emily's 6th grade Odyssey of the Mind group participated in a school exchange with a Technical School in Klaipeda, Lithuania. It was in Klaipeda where Tracy was introduced to these unique Lithuanian ceramic houses and the concept of importing them to the U.S. was ignited. Contact Information: Tracy Perrotta 816 Hillaire Dr Pittsburgh, PA 15243 (412) 279-0346 questions@candlehouse.net questions@candlehouse.net  ©2000 Candle House Ltd. www.candlehouse.net 39756