Tag: tradition

Jāni 2018: Latvian Midsummer Celebration

Jāni 2018: Latvian Midsummer Celebration

Midsummer. St. John’s Eve. The holiday is celebrated all over Europe, but it isn’t really a thing in America. In Latvia, the celebration of Jāni (both St. John and a mythical all-father sort of dude who is supposed to show up on the morning of the 24th of June) is probably almost as big as …

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Easter: Lieldienas

Easter: Lieldienas

Priecīgas Lieldienas! Happy Easter! I love that “lieldienas” literally translates to “Big Day!” I have spent the last few days soaking in some of the traditions of the Latvian version of this Christian holiday with lots of pagan influences. Let us just break down Holy Week from my perspective. I want to preface this, however, …

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