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Fact Sheet on LatviaOctober 2002, No.9
Latvias National Holidays AndRemembrance Days
Holidays
January 1New Years Day.
Ringing in the New Year, with the festivities usually startingin
the evening of December 31 (see also New Years Eve December 31), is
one of the most thrilling annual events inLatvia. Usually people
stay up until past midnight, and exactlyat midnight they toast each
other with champagne, wishingeveryone a happy New Year.
MarchApril (in accordance with the Western
Church calendar)Easter.
In Latvia, Easter holidays usually last three days: Good
Friday,Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Latvians go to church,
butalso observe Latvian festive traditions, which differ from
therituals introduced by the Christian Church. Easter is
usuallycelebrated in the family or among close friends.
May 1Convocation of the Constituent Assembly of theRepublic of
Latvia;
Labour Day.
In contrast to most European countries, where this date isLabour
Day only, in Latvia May 1 is of special national signi-
ficance too. On this date in 1920 the Constitutional
Assembly,the first parliament of the Republic of Latvia
democraticallyelected by the whole nation, convened for its first
session. Itstask was to draft and pass the state constitution.
May 4Restoration of Independence of the Republic ofLatvia.
On May 4, 1990 the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR (thehighest
legislative institution in occupied Latvia) passed aDeclaration on
the Restoration of Independence of the Re-public of Latvia and
instituted a transitional period until fullindependence was
regained.
The second Sunday in MayMothers Day.Mothers Day is a
comparatively new holiday in Latvia, offi-cially recognised only
from 1992, although it was marked as afamily celebration already in
the 1920s and 30s. The essenceof this family occasion lies in the
view that the mother repre-sents the main pillar of a strong
family.
A Sunday in May or June (in accordance withthe Western Church
calendar)Whitsunday.
Whitsunday in Latvia is mainly connected with Christian
reli-gious observances, but also includes earlier traditions
frombefore Christianity.
June 2324Lgo Day and Ji.
This is the biggest traditional Latvian festival, having a
deepsymbolic meaning for Latvians and known in other countriestoo.
The Lgo-Festival (Lgo-Eve) is on 23 June, with Ji onthe following
day 24 June. It coincides with the summersolstice, and the
festivities include many ancient traditions:
gathering wild flowers and cutting boughs, making wreathsof
oak-leaves and flowers, decorating houses and animals,burning a
ceremonial bonfire and singing songs with thelgo refrain. Ritual
food includes Ji cheese, with carawayseed, and barley beer.
November 18Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia.
On this day in 1918 in what is nowadays the National Theatrein
Rga, the Republic of Latvia was proclaimed as an inde-pendent
state. In a favourable situation in the wake of WorldWar I, Latvian
political groups realised their dream of estab-
lishing an independent state. The first period of existence
ofthe Republic of Latvia lasted up to June 17, 1940, when So-viet
forces occupied the country. More than 51 years passedbefore the
independent Republic of Latvia was restored onAugust 21, 1991.
December 25, 26Christmas.
Christmas is traditionally one of Latvias most important
festi-vities. Among the Latvians, this is a family celebration,
whenpeople attend a church service. Essential Christmas tradi-tions
include decorating the Christmas tree and gift-giving onChristmas
Eve December 24. The celebrations continue onChristmas Day and the
day after.
December 31New Years Eve.
Remembrance Days
January 20Commemoration Day of Defenders of the Barri-cades in
1991.
Already in autumn 1990, reactionary forces increasingly be-came
established in the government of the Soviet Union. Itwas in their
interests to stop the Baltic peoples move towardsrestoring
independence, and in January 1991 the leaders ofthe USSR in Moscow
took a decision to restore the old order in
the Baltic. Latvians from all over the country rushed to Rga
tobuild barricades and defend the independent power structu-res.
January 20 marked the culmination of violence by Sovietforces
hostile to Latvian independence. Soviet special forcesseized the
Latvian Ministry of the Interior, a gun-battle ensuedand several
people were killed.
January 26International (de jure) Recognition of the Repub-lic
of Latvia.
On this date in 1921 the Entente countries, the victors in
WorldWar I, recognised the independent Republic of Latvia. Thus,the
leading world powers of the time recognised independentLatvia as an
equal subject of international law.
March 25Commemoration Day of Victims of CommunistTerror.
On this day in 1949, a total of 43 000 people were deportedfrom
Latvia to Siberia mainly prosperous peasants, regardedby the Soviet
occupation regime as alien to communist ideo-logy and the
principles of collectivism.
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For further information please contact the Latvian Embassy or
Consu-late in your country, or the Latvian Institute:
Latvijas institts, Smilu iela 1/3, Rga, LV 1050, Latvia.
Phone: (+371) 750-3663, Fax: (+371) 750-3669
Email: instituts@latin st.lv http://www.latinst.lv
This fact sheet can be freely distributed and cited, on
condition that theLatvian Institute is acknowledged as the
source.
The Latvian Institute is a nonprofit organisation (a State
Corporation withlimited liability) established to promote knowledge
about Latvia abroad.
It produces publications, in several languages, on many aspects
of Latvia.
SSN 1407-8708
May 8The Crushing of Nazism and CommemorationDay of Victims of
World War II.
For Latvia and the Latvians, World War II was a time of
greatsuffering. Both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union
violatedinternational law by mobilising the population of Latvia
intheir armed forces. About 200 000 Latvian soldiers served inthe
forces of both occupying states, and about half of them(100 000)
were killed in battle.
May 9Europe Day.
Since the restoration of the independent Republic of Latvia,one
of the main foreign policy tasks has been accession tothe European
Union. Accordingly, Latvia has adopted thisday of remembrance,
observed in the European Union inhonour of Robert Schuman, who made
an immense contribu-tion to unifying the countries of Europe after
World War II.
June 14Commemoration Day of Victims of CommunistTerror.
On June 14, 1941 the Soviet occupation regime deported toSiberia
around 15 000 people from Latvia, regarding them as
ideologically opposed to the Soviet communist system.
June 17Occupation of the Republic of Latvia.
In accordance with a secret protocol of the
German-SovietNon-Aggression Pact of August 23, 1939, which
apportionedLatvia to Moscows sphere of influence, the country
wasoccupied by Soviet forces on June 17, 1940. Latvia was un-der
occupation by the Soviet Union (Russia) from 1940 up to1941, when
the country was occupied by Germany. In 1945the Soviet occupation
regime returned, and the Russian for-ces of occupation left their
last military base in 1998.
June 22
Heroes Commemoration Day (Anniversary ofthe Battle of Csis).In
June 1919 near the town of Csis there was a battle betweenLatvian
and German forces (including local Germans). On June 22, the
Latvians, together with Estonian forces, won adecisive victory
against the Germans. This victory is traditio-nally regarded as the
triumph of the idea of an independentLatvian state over the
principles of power embodied by theGermans in the Baltic.
July 4Commemoration Day of Genocide against theJews.
On July 4, 1941, shortly after the occupation by the USSRended
and the occupation by Nazi Germany began, Rgasmain Jewish synagogue
was destroyed, burning alive thosewho were trapped inside.
August 11Commemoration Day of Latvian Freedom Figh-ters.
The day of remembrance for Latvian freedom fighters isconnected
with the signing of a peace treaty between Lat-via and Soviet
Russia on August 11, 1920. The treaty endedthe Latvian War of
Liberation, which had begun in late1918. In the war, one of the
militarily strongest opponents of
the idea of a free Latvian state was the Soviet regime, whichhad
become established in Russia and planned to take overpower in
Latvia too.
August 21Passing of the Constitutional Law on the Statusof the
Republic of Latvia as a State and ActualRestoration of the Republic
of Latvia.
On August 21 the Supreme Council (parliament) of the Repub-lic
of Latvia declared that the Constitution of the Republic ofLatvia,
as passed on 15 February, 1922, was restored in full.This ended the
transitional period to a fully independent re-public, instituted on
May 4, 1990.
September 1Knowledge Day (First Day of School).
The new school year usually starts on this date, when
classesbegin in all teaching institutions in Latvia. Younger
students,often accompanied by their parents, traditionally bring
flow-ers to their teachers on this day.
September 22Baltic Unity Day.
On this date in 1236, Baltic peoples the ancient Latvians
together with the ancient Lithuanians defeated the
Germancrusading order, the Order of Swordbearers. The order hadbeen
created to gain military and political control of the Balticand
convert the indigenous peoples to Christianity.
November 11Latvian Freedom Fighters Remembrance Day Lplsis
Day.
On this date in 1919, the Latvian Army won a decisive
break-through in the fighting against the Russian and German
forcesled by Pavel Bermont-Avalov, which had taken up arms
againstthe Republic of Latvia. The victory over the forces of
Bermont-Avalov marked the conclusion of the Latvian War of
Libera-tion (19181920) and allowed the work of creating the new
state to begin.The last Sunday of November (usually)All Souls
Day (an unofficial day of remembrance).
On this day and on the previous eve Candles Eve peop-le visit
cemeteries to remember deceased loved-ones, ligh-ting candles at
the graves. A widespread tradition on AllSouls Day is a visit to
the Rga Military Cemetery. Everyonebrings a candle, lit to honour
the soldiers who fell in thecause of Latvias freedom.
The first Sunday of DecemberCommemoration Day of Victims of
GenocideAgainst the Latvian People by the TotalitarianCommunist
Regime.
After World War II about 200 000 Latvians lived in SovietRussia
(later the USSR), having arrived both in the course ofpeasant
emigration in the late 19th century, and as refugeesfrom the
fighting in World War I, since from 1915 the frontpassed through
the present territory of Latvia. In 19371938the communist regime in
Moscow began a genocide againstnon-Russians living in the USSR,
including Latvians. About70 000 Latvians living in the Soviet Union
were killed. TheLatvian parliament has declared the first Sunday of
Decemberas a day of remembrance for the Latvians killed in the USSR
inthe course of repression by Stalins regime.
