The traditions and festivals of ancient Latvians were all related to the rhythms of nature and the placement of the Sun in the sky. Holidays relating to religious events took on a distinctly pagan nature.
The most important holiday for every Latvian is the Summer Solstice festival, or Jāņi, which is celebrated on the night of June 23. Farms are bedecked with garlands of oak and birch branches and meadow flowers. Nearly everyone leaves the city for the open air so that the shortest night of the year can be spent in the merry company of friends. Campfires are lit, special songs are sung, dancing is a universal element during the festival. Traditional caraway seed cheese and lots of beer are on the menu.
Latvians are very proud of their quadrennial Song and Dance Festival. This festival has been organized since 1873, and each time it brings together literally tens of thousands of singers and dancers, dressed in their best folk costumes and coming from every region in Latvia. The festival always unifies the Latvian nation, strengthening its spiritual self-esteem. The Song and Dance Festival has never lost its significance, and it helps in upholding ancient traditions of song and dance in Latvia. The festival is always held in Riga, with the culminating concert on the grand open-air stage in Mežaparks. A massive parade of participants weaves through the city, and every resident and guest of Riga is on hand to watch the spectacle.
Holidays or commemorative days
New Year’s Day, January 1
Good Friday, First and Second Easter
Labor Day, May 1
The anniversary of Latvia’s declaration of independence in 1990, May 4
Mother’s Day, May 11
Whitsunday, May 30
The Summer Solstice festival, June 23 and 24
Latvian Independence Day, November 18
First and Second Christmas, December 25 and 26
New Year’s Eve, December 31