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In all, there are more than 1.5 million Latvians in the world. Around 90% of them live

in Latvia, while others can be found in the USA, Russia, Australia, Canada, the UK and

Germany, as well as Brazil, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia and Ireland. In fact, there is

hardly a country in the world where Latvians havent made their presence known, so

that even if you never visit Latvia, you stand a good chance of meeting a Latvian

somewhere else. This booklet is intended to help

you get a better understanding of just what a

Latvian is. Granted, each individual is unique

unto himself, but we have attempted to highlight

some of the more notable characteristics that are

common to most Latvians.

Latviansand the world


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A Latvianshome and family

Historically, Latvians have preferred to live in single family homesteads, rather than in

villages. Many of those who reside in Latvias rural areas still live this way. This Latvian

desire for privacy at a comfortable distance from others may account for their reserved,

self-sufficient and independent character. Even today, a Latvian values his family and

home above all else, and welcomes only close friends and relatives into this domestic

inner sanctum. A Latvian may not have a large number of close friends,

but those friendships that are established are more valuable than gold.

Women play an especially important role in Latvian society. In the

family, it is the woman who binds the family together and passes on

family traditions. In Latvia today, women have assumed leading roles in

society, including that of state president. Latvian men, however, take

pride in the fact that Latvian women are not only smart and caring, but

also extremely beautiful.

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What a Latvianeats

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Since ancient times, Latvian holidays have been characterized by festive celebrations

where a seemingly endless abundance of food and spirits are consumed with great

enthusiasm. But even on ordinary days, a good meal is important to a Latvian.

Traditional Latvian cuisine includes a variety of foods: rye bread, potatoes, sausages and

meat, fish, a variety of dairy products, beer and kvass. Breakfast commonly consists of

sandwiches with cheese or sausage, along with tea or coffee. Lunch often

includes soup with vegetables and meat, as well as potatoes, along with

a glass of kefrs or fruit juice. Less frequently, rice, buckwheat or pastamay accompany a meat dish. Latvians are passionately fond of traditional

rye bread, especially if it is home-baked, although a sweet-sour rye bread

is also popular. In many Latvian families, pies, apple tarts and cheesecakes

are baked to complete a meal.


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Latviansand nature

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Regardless of whether they live in cities or the

countryside, all Latvians display a deep reverence for

nature: the land, sea, animals, and especially flowers

and trees. Great oaks are especially beloved, while large trees of any kind are recorded

and registered for special protection. This close relationship with great trees is rooted in

ancient, pre-Christian beliefs, traditions and folklore, from a time when Latvians wor-

shipped a variety of nature deities and performed rituals beneath and around these

sacred trees. Latvians also have a very special affection for storks, and look upon a storksnest by ones home as a particular blessing for those who live there. These time-hon-

oured traditions continue to live on in the thinking of contemporary Latvians, many of

whom embrace a green philosophy toward life. It should come as no surprise that many

parts of Latvia are preserved in their natural state, untouched by human development.


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Latviansand the great outdoors

A love of nature is part of the lifestyle of many Latvians. While many generations of

Latvians have chosen to live and work in the countryside, even city dwellers prefer to

spend their recreational time away from urban hustle and bustle. They spend weekends

and holidays by the sea, have picnics by a lake or river, or take walks through Latvias large

forests. This is especially true in the summer, when Latvians relax by sunbathing, swim-

ming or fishing, or engage in more active

sports such as bicycling or boating. Thanks

to Latvias abundant wildlife, hunting isstill a popular sport among men. Whatever

the daytime activities, evenings often end

around a bonfire, where food is cooked,

songs are sung and dreams are dreamt.


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A Latvianand his land

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Small family farms and homesteads are looked upon as the place where the Latvian soul

is most at home. It is here where Latvian values and traditions developed and are main-

tained. In Latvia, such farms are not known by street or road addresses, but by unique

names, many of which date back centuries. For many Latvians, puttering in the family

garden is a substitute for excursions into nature. Tending gardens is a popular pastime

and even leads to competitions for the most beautiful or best kept garden. Elderly

Latvians spend a great deal of time in their fruit and vegetable plots, preparing stocks

for the winter: jams and fruit juices, as well as marinated and pickled vegetables, par-ticularly cucumbers and sauerkraut. The abundance of forests makes wild mushroom

and berry picking a favourite activity for all generations of Latvians. From July to

September, Latvias forests are full of Latvians filling wicker baskets with wild strawber-

ries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and mushrooms.


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Latviansand flowers

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Latvians love their flowers and give them generously

to honour people (men and women), places and

events. Tastes in flowers may vary, but there are some

unwritten rules that guide Latvians in the tradition of giving flowers. When presenting

flowers to another person, the bouquet must have an odd number of blossoms: three,

five, seven or nine. But when placing flowers on a grave, an even number

is used. Flowers are given to express appreciation, to celebrate a birth,

anniversary, wedding, promotion or achievement, or simply to bring asmile to someones face. Since ancient times, flowers, oak leaf wreaths and

other wild grass and floral arrangements have been used as decorations

during festive occasions. Latvians decorate themselves, their homes, their

pets and livestockand today, even their cars.


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Latvians,their songs and dances

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If a people can be defined by one universal trait, then

for Latvians it has to be the love of singing. Latvians

sing all the time, anywhere, for any reason. They sing

on holidays, anniversaries, celebrations, weddings, graduations and sporting events.

While Latvians will sing in any style, be it opera, pop, jazz or rock, they hold a special

place in their hearts for the traditional Latvian folksongs known as dainas. Dainas can be

sung alone, in groups or in large choirs, and among the million or so that are known,

every topic of importance is touched upon. There is a daina for every occasion or mood,and even politicians dont hesitate to perform a favourite daina when the occasion calls

for it. During spectacular song festivals, tens of thousands of Latvians gather to sing in

massed choirs, dressed in traditional folk costumes that date back several centuries.

Many Latvians own personal folk costu-

mes which they wear on special occa-

sions such as song festivals, holidays and

celebrations. Singing is often accompa-nied by dancing, and many Latvians par-

ticipate in folk dance groups, or simply

join in when the spirit strikes them.


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Latviansand their holidays

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For Latvians, the four most popular holidays are Christmas, New Years Eve, Easter and

Ji (summer solstice). Ji, which is celebrated on the eve of 24 June, is especially note-

worthy. Most Latvians observe it in the countryside in the open air: people gather near

farms, homesteads, in fields or forests, and light a huge bonfire at dusk on a hilltop,

preferably near a great oak tree. Anyone flying over Latvia on the eve of Ji will see a

spectacular light show, since the entire country is dotted with thousands of blazing

bonfires. To prepare for the festival, special Ji foodscheese with caraway seeds and

bacon piesare prepared, and ample beer is provided. Girls decorate themselves withgarlands of wild flowers, while lads adorn their heads with wreaths of oak leaves.

Although the singing of traditional Ji songs is increasingly being supplemented with

recorded music and stage performances, it seems that practically every Latvian knows at

least a few Ji songs with the characteristic lgo refrain. Those Ji merrymakers with

sufficient endurance will stay up all night to greet the dawn of Ji Day, having spent

most of the night singing and dancing. More romantically inclined couples spend the

night together in the forest, searching for the mystical fern blossom.


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Latviansand fire

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Perhaps its because of Latvias cooler Northern

European climate, or simply because Latvians have

preserved many of their ancient traditions, but all in

all, Latvians are very fond of fire. Fire plays a promi-

nent role during the Summer Solstice festival ofJi,

when the Latvian countryside is illuminated by

thousands of bonfires. No Latvian holiday is

complete without candles, since they are viewed as an essential part of a festiveatmosphere. Candles are lit on birthday cakes, at funerals, in windows and during

graduation ceremonies. At Christmas, many Latvians prefer to decorate their holiday

trees with real candles rather than multi-coloured electric lights. Candles are lit at the

table during wedding feasts, and carried by celebrants at the tra-

ditional midnight wedding ritual ofmioana. Candlesticks and

candelabras made of wood, ceramics or metal are also an impor-

tant part of traditional Latvian art and craftwork.

Latvians also enjoy fireworks displays, not only at

large public events but also at private parties.


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Latvians are not overtly demonstrative patriots,

although they love their land and country deeply and

take great pride in their accomplishments in sports

and culture. The essence of being Latvian is encoded

in several common symbols. Some symbols, such as

the flag and Freedom Monument in Rga, are associ-

ated with the Latvian state and the freedom of the

Latvian people. For its part, the oak symbolizes strength, endurance, longevity and sur-vival. Therefore, the oak wreath, which is worn by men during the Ji celebration, or is

presented to athletes or veteran workers for special achievements, embodies all these

qualities. Floral wreaths for women also symbolize these traditional Latvian values. For

its part, the bonfire that brightens festive events symbolizes light and warmth. And,

since 1991, it has symbolized the bonfires that lit the Days of the Barricades which led

to the restoration of Latvias independence. The rich array of symbols found in Latvian

ornamentation and decorative design

also carry a wide variety of meanings

from ancient times, symbolizing wisdom,

strength, security and spiritual beliefs.

Latviansand their symbols


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Latviansand their names

There are about a thousand Latvian personal names, and each day of the Latvian calendar

always highlights one or more of them, designating this as a namesday. On ones names-

day, Latvians usually receive greetings, gifts and flowers, and should expect visits from

guests without invitation. The most popular mans name in Latvian is Jnis, followed by

Andris, Juris, Edgars, Mris and Aivars. The most popular womens names are Anna,

Kristne, Marija, Inese, Inga and Ilze. Fashions in personal names tend to change, so that

new, modern names come into use, while old, long-forgotten names may reappear. Yet

some centuries-old names continue to stand the test of time: Krlis, Ilze, Pteris, Anna,Juris, etc. The majority of Latvian names are local variants of European

Christian names, while many others have been borrowed from neigh-

bouring peoples, and about ten percent are unique to the Latvians, for

example Irbe, Sniedze, Viesturs, Dzintars, Auseklis. Many of these

Latvian names represent animals or aspects of nature, such as amber,

star, snow or a bird species. Visvaldis, for example, means all-ruler.

About half of all Latvian surnames are of Latvian origin: Brzi,

Kalni, Ozoli. Most surnames of Latvian origin refer to a particular

object: thus, Latvian prime ministers have included Mr Gailis

(Rooster), Mr Krasts (Shore), Mr le (Slice). Less common are German,

Swedish, and Polish surnames, although in recent years the number of

Russian surnames has increased. In studying surnames, one can trace

a familys roots to a particular parish.

The commonest Latvian

personal names and surnames, 2005

Male Female Surnamesnames names

1 Jnis Anna Brzi2 Andris Kristne Kalni

3 Juris Inese Ozoli4 Edgars Inga Jansons5 Mris Ilze Ozols6 Aivars Lga Liepi7 Mrti Dace Krmi8 Pteris Anita Balodis9 Ivars Marija Egltis

10 Kaspars Ieva Zari11 Valdis Iveta Ptersons12 Uldis Dina Vtols13 Aigars Sandra Kavi14 Krlis Aija Krkli15 Aleksandrs Rita Vanags


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Latviansand their language

The total number of Latvian speakers in the world exceeds 2 million, and for 1.4 million

of them it is their native language. Latvian belongs to the Indo-European language family,

and together with Lithuanian forms the Baltic language group, related to, but separate

from the Slavic and Germanic language groups. The Latvian language, like Lithuanian,

retains many elements of Proto-Indo-European language both in terms of vocabulary and

grammar, and in this regard is of particular interest for linguists. Although contemporary

literary Latvian is used in practically all walks of life across the entire country, spoken

Latvian often exhibits elements of various local dialects. Around 150 Latvian languagenewspapers are published, with a total circulation of 110

million, along with 200 magazines and journals. Also

published in Latvian every year are about two thousand

books with a total circulation of about 5 million.


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Photo credits:

L.Balodis, A.Egltis, D.Kadaks, A.Korsaka, P.Korsaks,

M.Kudrjavcevs, M.Kundzi, A.Meiers, V.Paeglis,

I.Prdelis, J.Smainskis, A.Tone, J.Zalns, photo

archives of AS Diena and Lauku ceotjs.

The Latvian Institute thanks all the Latvians who

shared their family albums with us.

Chief Editor:

Raimonds Cerzis

Editor:

Ieva Pgozne

English translation:

V.Brzi,

O.KalniISBN 9984-736-32-6

The Latvian Institute,

Rga 2006

Text:

Ojrs Kalni,

Ilmrs Mes,

Ieva Pgozne

Layout:

Uldis Sosnovskis


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For further information please contact

the Latvian Embassy or Consulate in your country or the Latvian Institute:

Latvijas institts, Kau iela 7, Rga, LV 1050, Latvia.

Phone: (+371) 6750-3663, Fax: (+371) 6750-3669E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.li.lv, www.latvia.lv

The Latvian Institute promotes knowledge about Latvia abroad.It produces publications in several languages on many aspects of Latvia.

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