Wikipedia says there are CCD observations in Poland and Spain. Europe is much smaller than the US. Before you know it, you will miss something.
Bees means friends [During] a recent visit by Ukraine's President Yushchenko to Lithuania, he was gifted a set of beekeeping implements by President Adamkus of Lithuania. It turns out that Yushchenko is a keen beekeeper in his private life. President Yushchenko has now in turn gifted President Adamkus three beehives with bees, as thanks for Adamkus' help in helping solve last year's Ukrainian crisis. This was a highly symbolic act, as in ancient times in Lithuania people who exchanged bees became lifelong friends, with ties as strong as between blood relatives. Bees could not be bought or sold, only exchanged. There was a whole lore of beekeeping practised in ancient times, unique in Europe to Lithuania and related Baltic nations. In fact the Lithuanian name for a special friend, "bičiulis", is derived from the word "bitė" (a "bee").
[During] a recent visit by Ukraine's President Yushchenko to Lithuania, he was gifted a set of beekeeping implements by President Adamkus of Lithuania. It turns out that Yushchenko is a keen beekeeper in his private life. President Yushchenko has now in turn gifted President Adamkus three beehives with bees, as thanks for Adamkus' help in helping solve last year's Ukrainian crisis.
This was a highly symbolic act, as in ancient times in Lithuania people who exchanged bees became lifelong friends, with ties as strong as between blood relatives. Bees could not be bought or sold, only exchanged. There was a whole lore of beekeeping practised in ancient times, unique in Europe to Lithuania and related Baltic nations. In fact the Lithuanian name for a special friend, "bičiulis", is derived from the word "bitė" (a "bee").
Here are a few of those Lithuanian beehives, with an independent expalnation:
As we strolled back toward the cottage, the guide further explained to me that the Lithuanian beekeepers centuries ago were members of a kind of brotherhood. Evidence of this is a curious word in everyday use by Lithuanians that links the Lithuanian culture and language with bees and beekeeping. This is the word biciulis, pronounced bitch -ull -iss, with the ull as in "pull". Derived from the two-syllable Lithuanian word for bee, bite (bit-eh), it was originally used among beekeepers. A beekeeper was a bicius (bitch-uss with the uss as in puss). Biciulis is a diminutive and it literally means " dear fellow beekeeper". Beekeepers kept bees as common property and had close relationships among themselves that were almost as close as blood relationships. It is said that there was a strong moral code among them. As in other cultures, the Lithuanians saw the bee as a fiercely moral creature. She stung dishonest people, for example. This carried over to human life. Someone who was adept enough and morally good enough to handle bees, as you were, clearly would make a trustworthy friend. It is said that bees were never bought and sold among biciuliai. Nowadays, Lithuanians commonly use the delightful word biciulis simply to mean "friend" or "pal".
We may also remember the mead drink, the ancient European (and not only) honey wine or beer.
