Midsummer is the most important celebration in the Latvian festival calendar, which is not very surprising, considering the length of the winters here. All over Latvia, all-night parties are held in which fires are lit, people sing songs (some of them about cattle), dance, make and wear wreaths of flowers, drink specially-brewed beer and eat cheese. Men called Janis are honoured with oak wreaths and young people go into the forest to hunt for a fern that is believed to bloom on this night alone and is said to bring love and happiness to those who find it.

While westerners may be excused for believing this has to do with a certain alcoholic drink, in Latvia, the Martini Festival is an ancient day, marking the end of the threshing season and the start of the linen processing in the old agricultural calendar. Like many of these traditional Latvian festivals, it has its roots in the farming seasons and farmers don’t mind a bit of blood-letting. Crosses are put on doors to ward off the powers of evil, Martins are chased and roosters slaughtered. Food consumed at this time of year includes bread, chicken or goose, honey and Martini balls (made of peas, beans, potatoes and hemp).

Christmas is celebrated all over Latvia. The majority of Latvians attend a church service on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, families come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. They celebrate by preparing a special Christmas meal that includes such dishes as potatoes with sauerkraut and pork, and lentils with bacon. Gingerbread is baked in almost every home. Gifts are exchanged following the meal.