Understanding Latvian culture

Contents

Key historical events

Germans ruled large parts of today’s Latvia in the 13^th Century
Livonian War (1558-1583)- Latvia under Polish and Lithuanian rule
Polish-Swedish War (1600-1611)- Latvia under Swedish rule
In 1795 Latvia became a Russian province
1905- A revolution took place in the Baltic region directed primarily against German landowners and Russian autocracy
18^th November 1918 an independent Latvia was proclaimed
Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940: Soviet troops occupied the country
4^thMay 1990 the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia
In 2004 Latvia became a member of NATO and European Union
In 2014 Latvia became a member of Eurozone

The main religiontraditionally practiced in Latvia is Christianity. As of 2019, it is the largest religion (68%)
Lutheranism is the main Christian denomination among ethnic Latvians (36%)
Catholicism is most prevalent in eastern Latvia (Latgale)
The Latvian Orthodox Church is the third largest Christian church in Latvia, with adherents primarily among the Russian-speaking minority

Those living in cities mainly reside in tall flat complexes. Each flat is usually small with up to 3 to 4 rooms in total
Unemployment rate in Latvia 2022 is around 7% of all population
Latvia is rich in forestry as its top export being wood

Staples are potatoes and pork
Favourite Latvian dishes are cold chunky beetroot soup, dark rye bread, piragi- bread roll filled with minced meat, bacon, cabbage etc.
In Latvia they love their soups – they eat it all year round no matter the weather. It’s common to eat it before a main course but can also be eaten as a main course itself
Grey peas with speck is a dish that’s considered to be the national dish of Latvia. It’s a popular Latvian food to eat during Christmas and New Year, it’s said to bring good luck and fortune when eating up all the peas

Freedom of religion with 3 main dominants -Lutheran, Catholic and Orthodox
Latvia is called “the singing nation”. Lots of Latvians sing in choirs or dance in folk dance groups
High aspirations for education and are often united, driven and patient minded
Strong family and friendship values

Latvians prefer to remove shoes at home and to wear slippers
Latvians are known for bringing a small gift to express gratitude to any ‘catch-up’ with close friends or family. If you are invited to a Latvian’s house, take a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine, fruit or flowers for the host/-ess.
Although friendly and informal with close friends and family, Latvians are reserved and formal when dealing with outsiders.
One of the country’s leading cultural events is the Latvian Song and Dance Festival held once every five years
The summer solstice is taken very seriously in Latvia. Celebrating midsummer is one of Latvia’s oldest cultural customs. People celebrate Jāņi or “Liigo’’ on 23^rd June and 24^th June by staying up all night to meet the morning sun
With over half the country covered in an ancient forest, Latvia is one of the greenest countries in Europe. For this reason, one of the most popular customs from Latvia is foraging. People pick all sorts of plants and herbs with healing properties from the forest, along with edible mushrooms

Latvians are polite and courteous. They can be extremely reserved. They do not readily smile, especially at strangers, and are not comfortable making small talk.
Latvians may speak Latvian, English and Russian
Titles are important. If someone does not have a professional or academic title, use the honorific titles “Kungs” to address a man and “Kundze” to address a woman
Latvian has a diminutive form of nouns that makes the meaning smaller or cuter. It’s like English saying doggy instead of dog, or kitty instead of cat
Latvian nouns can be classified as either declinable or indeclinable. Most Latvian nouns are declinable, and regular nouns belong to one of six declension classes (three for masculine nouns, and three for feminine nouns)

The Latvian education system is a competency based model with a national curriculum.
Primary is Year 1 to 3- UK Yr 2-5
Basic Secondary Years 4 to 9- UK Yr 6-10
Upper Secondary is Years 10 to 12- UK Yr 11-13
To enter higher education pupils must complete year 10 to 12 first.
Uzedevumi.lv– Latvian Learning Platform
For further information, please see our OMG on Latvian Education

Latvia has a different recycling system – you may need to explain the UK system
Latvian families are used to warmer homes – allow families to adjust
Most of Latvia’s water needs to be filtered first – explain that our tap water is drinkable
On the 1st of September the new school year starts and it is called ‘Knowledge Day’. Students put on performances, thank and celebrate their teachers at the start of the new school year