Latvian Christmas is famous for the world’s first Christmas tree and log pulling

Latvian Christmas is an exciting combination of Christian and pagan customs.

What did the first Christmas tree look like, and what happened to it?

Why do Latvians pull logs from house to house?

How many dishes should appear on the Christmas Eve table?

In our article, we will tell you everything about how Christmas is celebrated in Latvia.

When is Christmas celebrated in Latvia?

Latvia celebrates Christmas on December 24th and 25th, which are also closely related to the pagan winter solstice celebrations known as Yule. Yule symbolized the birth of the pagan sun god Mithras and was celebrated on the shortest day of the year.
“Ziemassvētki,” or Latvian Christmas, is thus characterized by an inseparable mixture of ethnic, religious, and modern traditions, making it a truly unique experience.

To this day, a relatively sizeable Russian-speaking minority lives in Latvia, which celebrates the Christmas holidays by Orthodox traditions only at the beginning of January.

Do you know Latvian Christmas traditions?

A significant symbol of Christmas in Latvia is the tree. According to some legends, the first public Christmas tree was decorated in the square of Riga in 1510. It was decorated with paper and straw, people danced around it, and finally, it was lit.

Why is Latvia the home of the first Christmas tree?

The tradition of decorating Christmas trees is still very much alive in Latvia. Trees are most often decorated with decorations made of natural materials, such as straw or dried fruit, and an angel or star is usually placed at the tip.

Another Latvian Christmas tradition is masquerade parades, budēli, kaļadas, or ķekatas. They are related to pagan winter solstice celebrations. The locals dress up so no one will recognize them and then go from house to house dancing and singing. The most common masks are bears, fortune tellers, or devils.

At the same time, the procession drags a log or tree stump with it on a rope, which is said to draw worries out of houses and drive away evil spirits. In the evening, at the end of the tour, the log is burned with all the evil.

Who brings the children’s presents?

Children in Latvia believe that presents are brought to them by Žičkių vecītis, or Santa Claus, and his dwarf helpers, Žičkių rūďīši in Latvian. Gifts are usually secretly placed under the Christmas tree when people are not around.

Gifts are unwrapped either in the evening or in the morning on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, singing, reciting a short poem, or playing a musical instrument while standing by the Christmas tree to “get” a gift is necessary.

What to eat in Latvia at Christmas?

An integral part of every Christmas in Latvia is a decadent treat. The traditional Latvian Christmas Eve dinner takes place on December 24, and twelve different dishes should be on the table. These include pork, fish, steamed sauerkraut with cumin, gray peas with bacon, beetroot, potatoes and gingerbread.

Many of these dishes have symbolic meaning for the coming year. For example, fish with large scales, such as carp, are said to bring money and luck in financial matters. Gray peas with bacon will keep your household from crying too much. But only if you don’t leave a single pea uneaten.

Pīrāgi, pies filled with minced meat, bacon, cabbage, or cheese, are also not allowed on the Christmas table.

How to make your own pīrāgi?

This salty Christmas pastry is typical for Christmas in Latvia.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1.8 oz fresh yeast
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of oil

Filling

• 2 cups of bacon
• 1 egg
• pepper to taste
• 1 onion (optional)

Method:

1. Add a teaspoon of sugar and flour to crumble the yeast into a small bowl.
2. Then add two tablespoons of warm water and mix well.
3. Let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes.
4. Then, add yeast, warm milk, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
5. Mix well.
6. Stir in the flour with a spoon to form a dough, then continue to knead with your hands.
7. After kneading for a few minutes, stir in the oil.
8. If the dough is too sticky, you can add a little more flour.
9. Finally, shape the dough into a ball and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.
10. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
11. Cut the bacon and possibly the onion into small pieces and fry them in a pan for a few minutes, add a little pepper.
12. Roll out the dough and then use a glass to cut circles of approximately 4 inches in diameter.
13. Cover half of the circle with the meat filling, fold over and press the edges to seal.
14. Place the filled pīrāgi on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
15. Then brush them lightly with beaten egg to make them shiny.
16. Bake in an oven preheated to 392°F for 10-15 minutes until golden.

What places to visit in Latvia at Christmas?

Christmas in Latvia does not have to mean only Riga. Christmas markets and winter solstice celebrations are held in almost all cities.

• Riga – Latvia’s capital- is an exciting combination of history and modernity. The primary Christmas market in Riga is located in Doma Laukums Square, while the second one is near Livu Laukums. Another smaller Christmas market is in Esplanade Park before the Orthodox Cathedral. Here you can buy traditional Christmas decorations or taste traditional Christmas food, such as gingerbread or sauerkraut.

• Jelgava – a city near Riga, is known for its historical monuments and beautiful parks. At the same time, the largest winter event in the Baltics takes place here – the International Festival of Ice Sculptures.

• Daugavpils – the second-largest city in Latvia, is located in the southeast of the country near the Lithuanian and Belarusian borders. Historically, Daugavpils was part of Poland and later the Russian Empire. It retains cultural influences from these periods, which makes it one of the most interesting Latvian destinations, not only at Christmas.