Latvian Christmas Traditions
Like anywhere in this world Christmas or Latvian - “Ziemassvētki” (Winter celebration) is one of the favorite celebrations of Latvians of all ages. There should be at least nine different dishes on the table for the traditional Christmas dinner in Latvia, which is held on December 24. Pork, fish, chicken, sausage rolls (speķa pīragi), sauerkraut with caraway seeds, potatoes, grey peas, beets, and gingerbread cookies are some of them. Of course, the foods may vary from home to home, but one thing is for sure - you will not leave with an empty stomach from a Latvian Christmas celebration.
Latvians also tend to claim that the first public Christmas tree in the history of the world was set up in Riga. It has been claimed that the first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree comes from Riga, Latvia. Local lore holds that the first Christmas tree was lit and adorned in Town Hall Square more than 500 years ago. According to legend, on Christmas Eve in 1510, the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for single merchants, decorated a pine tree, danced around it and then lit it on fire.
A similar Christmas tree can be seen in the heart of Old Riga in front of the beautiful House of Blackheads every December. Even though they don't burn it down anymore, it's still a fantastic opportunity to discover all about Riga's medieval past.
If you see strangely dressed people singing and dancing on Christmas Eve, then know that these are “budēļi” or “ķekatnieki” - people dressed up in traditional costumes and masques going from house to house bringing good luck for the houses they visit and scaring the evil spirits. If budēļi are knocking on your door, you should always welcome and treat them with food or small gifts - not to scare the luck away as this is one of the Latvian pagan winter solstice traditions.
Another tradition of Latvian Christmas celebrations is the traditional bath or “pirts” - the ritual of the Christmas bath or sauna was intended to prepare people for the celebration of the victory of light, as after Christmas, the days are getting longer and the light has won over the darkness. During the bathing ritual, Latvians not only physically washed but also symbolically cleansed themselves of all energetically bad things that had accumulated over the year and prepared for the start of a new successful cycle of life. In other words, Latvians washed their souls clean.
Latvians have many different Christmas traditions, we hope you will have a nice experience enjoying them.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Vita, OLS Community Manager - Latvian