Have you ever experienced the magic of the shortest night of the year? Some of my warmest memories are of celebrating midsummer in Latvia: lighting a bonfire on the beach, spending the short hours of darkness singing and dancing, and watching the sun rise over the sea. Just like the winter solstice, the summer solstice […]
Celebrations
Birthday Party at Kids at Work, Hamburg
This week, let me tell you a little about Birdy’s 4th birthday party and the fun location where we celebrated it: Kids at Work. Turning four in Germany Here in Germany, the (unwritten) rules for the fourth birthday are in somewhat of a grey area. For the third birthday, kids are invited to the party together with their parents. For […]
Why do the Germans Give Easter Gifts?
Do you give Easter gifts to your loved ones? We Latvians usually don’t. But, as it turns out, even after a decade of living in Germany the country and its customs can surprise me. As I wrote about German Easter traditions last year: While in my childhood Easter egg hunting meant scouring our garden for actual eggs, […]
Celebrating Name Days in Latvia
Do you celebrate name days? Chances are, your answer is either an enthusiastic ‘yes!’ or a slightly confused ‘err, what?’ In honor of just having celebrated my own name day (mark your calendar for January 27th if you don’t want to miss it next year!), this post is about the fun tradition of marking name […]
Winter Solstice Traditions in Latvia
For millions of people around the world, Christmas is closely tied to Christian beliefs, after all, it is a celebration commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, in many languages, the word for the celebration itself has to do with Christ or birth. Not so in Latvian where we celebrate “Ziemassvētki”, literally the “winter festival”. You […]
Celebrating Nikolaus in Germany
In Germany, the morning of the 6th December is almost like Christmas. On the evening of the 5th, children all over the country are busy cleaning their boots. They leave them out for Sankt Nikolaus – Saint Nicholas in English – to fill with goodies overnight, and wake up to a lovely surprise in the […]
The Easter Chocolate Extravaganza
Twice a year German kids are showered in chocolate candy of all shapes and sizes. The first time is on the 6th December when Nikolaus fills their shoes with tasty treats. The second is on Easter Sunday when they go searching for eggs, cute little baskets in hand. And while in my childhood Easter egg hunting meant scouring […]
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Newborn Rituals around the World
The arrival of a new baby is always something special and a reason to celebrate. Most cultures around the world have special rituals to welcome the newborn into the family and the community, and to ensure them the best possible start in life. Here is a selection of some of the most interesting newborn rituals from across […]
German Easter – Decorations, Food & Traditions
Last year we spent the Easter holidays in Germany and I tried to give them a little Latvian touch by coloring the eggs Latvian style. As this year we’re celebrating Easter in Latvia, I suppose it’s only fitting that I write about German Easter traditions instead. The long Easter weekend can feel a bit quiet […]
My Favorite Weird German New Year’s Tradition
Since moving to Germany I’ve had to learn a few things about the New Year’s. First, it’s not called New Year’s Eve over here, it’s Silvester. Second, you don’t wish people happy New Year, instead you wish a guten rutsch, literally, a “good slide” (presumably, into the upcoming year). Third, for some unfathomable reason most […]