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 haven't 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.

A Latvian's home and family

Historically, Latvians have preferred to live in single family homesteads, rather than in villages. Many of those who reside in Latvia's 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.

What a Latvian eats

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 kefīrs or fruit juice. Less frequently, rice, buckwheat or pasta may 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.

Latvians and nature

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 worshipped 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 stork's nest by one's home as a particular blessing for those who live there. These time-honoured 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.

Latvians and 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 Latvia's large forests. This is especially true in the summer, when Latvians relax by sunbathing, swimming or fishing, or engage in more active sports such as bicycling or boating. Thanks to Latvia's abundant wildlife, hunting is still 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.

A Latvian and his land

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 maintained. 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, particularly 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, Latvia's forests are full of Latvians filling wicker baskets with wild strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and mushrooms.

Latvians and flowers

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 a smile to someone's 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 livestock—and today, even their cars.

Latvians and fire

Perhaps it's because of Latvia's 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 prominent role during the Summer Solstice festival of Jāņi, 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 festive atmosphere. 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 traditional midnight wedding ritual of mičošana. Candlesticks and candelabras made of wood, ceramics or metal are also an important part of traditional Latvian art and craftwork. Latvians also enjoy fireworks displays, not only at large public events but also at private parties.

Latvians, their songs and dances

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 don't 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 costumes which they wear on special occasions such as song festivals, holidays and celebrations. Singing is often accompanied by dancing, and many Latvians participate in folk dance groups, or simply join in when the spirit strikes them.

Latvians and their holidays

For Latvians, the four most popular holidays are Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter and Jāņi (summer solstice). Jāņi, which is celebrated on the eve of 24 June, is especially noteworthy. 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 Jāņi will see a spectacular light show, since the entire country is dotted with thousands of blazing bonfires. To prepare for the festival, special Jāņi foods—cheese with caraway seeds and bacon pies—are prepared, and ample beer is provided. Girls decorate themselves with garlands of wild flowers, while lads adorn their heads with wreaths of oak leaves. Although the singing of traditional Jāņi songs is increasingly being supplemented with recorded music and stage performances, it seems that practically every Latvian knows at least a few Jāņi songs with the characteristic līgo refrain. Those Jāņi merrymakers with sufficient endurance will stay up all night to greet the dawn of Jāņi 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'.

Latvians and their symbols

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 Rīga, are associated with the Latvian state and the freedom of the Latvian people. For its part, the oak symbolizes strength, endurance, longevity and survival. Therefore, the oak wreath, which is worn by men during the Jāņi 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 Latvia's 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.

Latvians and 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 language newspapers 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.

Latvians and 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 one's namesday, Latvians usually receive greetings, gifts and flowers, and should expect visits from guests without invitation. The most popular man's name in Latvian is Jānis, followed by Andris, Juris, Edgars, Māris and Aivars. The most popular women's names are Anna, Kristīne, 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: Kārlis, Ilze, Pēteris, Anna, Juris, etc. The majority of Latvian names are local variants of European Christian names, while many others have been borrowed from neighbouring 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: Bērziņš, Kalniņš, Ozoliņš. Most surnames of Latvian origin refer to a particular object: thus, Latvian prime ministers have included Mr Gailis (Rooster), Mr Krasts (Shore), Mr Šķēle (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 family's roots to a particular parish.

 Latvians.pdf (10.22 MB)

© Text: Ph.D. Ilmārs Mežs, The United Nations Development Programme Country Office in Latvia; Ojārs Kalniņš, The Latvian Institute; Ieva Pīgozne, The Latvian Institute, 2006

© The Latvian Institute
This fact sheet can be freely printed from homepage of the Latvian Institute, distributed and cited, on condition that the Latvian Institute is acknowledged as the source. The Latvian Institute promotes knowledge about Latvia abroad. It produces publications, in several languages, on many aspects of Latvia.