Christmas in Latvia arrives on ornate sleighs. The scent of gingerbread, roasted nuts, blackcurrant drink, and mulled wine begins to spread throughout the city. Shop windows and cafes transform into scenes from fairy tale movies, intensifying the festive atmosphere in the urban environment. Large and small Christmas markets open, where you can not only purchase items from Latvian craftsmen (such as mittens, scarves, wooden crafts) but also listen to concerts, play, and meet Santa Claus himself. And most importantly, Christmas trees are decorated and lit up in the city! Riga becomes the most beautiful city in Europe.
Riga is the birthplace of the first decorated Christmas tree.
Latvians have always been storytellers and guardians of traditions. For hundreds of years, during autumn and winter evenings, a special atmosphere was created for the emergence of legends, where myths merge with memories and new traditions are born. One such legend is about how the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree began in Riga 500 years ago.
In 1510, the Brotherhood of Blackheads was well known in Riga, consisting of young merchants and ship captains. As Christmas approached, the men of the brotherhood decided to greet the people of Riga and bring them the largest tree they could find. They wanted to burn the tree on the Daugava riverbank, which would complement the old tradition of burning a log, but the tree looked so large in the city that the Blackheads decided not to burn it to avoid endangering surrounding buildings and people.
While the Blackheads were discussing this matter, children discovered the huge tree on the Daugava riverbank. They began to decorate its branches with everything they could find. There were apples and nuts that the children hung on threads pulled from mittens. The children were so engrossed that they didn’t even notice the materials needed to decorate the huge Christmas tree seemingly appearing by themselves!
During a break in their meeting, one of the merchants went down to the Daugava and noticed from afar the wonderful transformation that had taken place with the tree. The decorations brought by the children were covered in frost, and the tree sparkled in the moonlight. An idea occurred to the merchant, and that same evening, he called the other men to show them the miraculous changes.
The Blackheads were delighted with the beautiful tree, and the merchant said, “We will raise and decorate this tree for Christmas, this tree! And we will place it in the middle of the city for everyone’s joy.” The tree was brought to the main market square (now Town Hall Square), and the decorations hung by the children were supplemented with bright ribbons and ornaments. The tree was magnificent!
People heard the story of the tree that miraculously changed, and this story, of course, spread throughout the city. “This Christmas tree is a gift with which we should delight each other at Christmas,” said one of the members of the brotherhood. Since then and to this day, this miracle comes to every home and family where Christmas is celebrated and the tree is decorated.
Planning to visit Latvia? Then check out my post on the overview of the most beautiful places in Riga and a short trip to Jurmala.
Christmas in Latvia – beliefs and customs.
Like all peoples of the world, Latvians give gifts at Christmas, but there are other traditions that are observed to this day – trying nine dishes, pulling the log, which helps to get rid of troubles and worries, wearing different masks – for example, of death, horse, crane. Masked people go from house to house, driving away evil spirits, to ward off evil. On Christmas Eve, crosses are placed on doors and windows, so neither illnesses nor evil spirits will visit you.
To have a lot of money, on Christmas Eve you need to eat peas. If you eat peas nine times at Christmas, you will be rich.
On Christmas Eve, you need to go barefoot to the garden and shake the apple trees – then the apple harvest in the coming year will be plentiful.
To prevent toothache, you need to walk barefoot around the house three times.
Do you love Christmas and New Year holidays? Then read my post about how Christmas is celebrated in Finland.
Christmas markets in Latvia.
Christmas markets are one of the brightest signs of the approaching Christmas in Latvia. About ten Christmas markets open in the Latvian capital on the first Advent and delight shoppers until the beginning of January. The largest of them are located on Dome Square, Livu Square, and on Esplanade. In Riga, the markets are organized to be interesting for both locals and foreign guests. Christmas markets are a place where you can buy holiday gifts for all tastes and ages: products from Latvian craftsmen, such as patterned mittens, wooden kitchen utensils, woolen socks, fragrant wax candles, or homemade honey. Typically, visitors to the markets can not only buy gifts but also learn about various Christmas traditions, listen to concerts, take part in creative workshops, and try traditional Christmas dishes.
And here are the recipes for those famous treats:
Classic Piparkukas (ginger cookies).
Ingredients for 1 kg of dough:
- 600 g of wheat flour
- 3 liters of malt extract or honey
- 200 g of butter
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of gingerbread spice mix
Preparation:
- Heat the sugar, butter, and malt extract (or honey) but do not bring to a boil.
- Add half of the flour to this mixture and stir until the dough does not stick to the edges of the pot. When the dough cools slightly, add the beaten egg, the remaining flour, baking soda, and spices.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and transparent (this may take a lot of time because the dough needs to be well kneaded). Wrap in foil and refrigerate to set.
This is one of the classic gingerbread recipes, but it’s important to know that good cookies will only result if the dough is allowed to rest for at least a week before baking, and even better for several weeks.
You might also be interested in the recipe for “glogg”, prepared according to Scandinavian traditions. Click the link, as it turns out very bright and rich. Just what you need to warm up in cold weather!
Split Pea Soup with Bacon.
Ingredients:
- 500 g split peas
- 300-400 g smoked bacon or other smoked meat
- 2 medium onions
- Water
- Spices + kefir
Preparation: 120 minutes.
- Soak the split peas in water for 4-5 hours, if possible, overnight.
- Drain the water and place the peas in a saucepan to boil, add a spoonful of salt.
- The peas should boil for at least 1.5-2 hours. If the water almost evaporates, you can add a little boiling water. Periodically skim off the foam.
- Meanwhile, dice the smoked meat and fry it with onions in a hot skillet. When the onions and meat acquire a golden crust, add black pepper, mix everything and wait for the peas to cook.
- When the peas are soft, drain all the liquid.
- Add the fried meat and onions, mix everything. Simmer for a few minutes.
Enjoy your meal and have fun adventures!
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