"vairab's new Latvia Page" a Latvia Travel Page by vairab

call themselves a nation of singers. The folk-song tradition is the main symbol used for the nation’s self-identification, and this symbol has a history of one and a half centuries. The idea that Latvians could be more than merely an uneducated class of farmers surfaced for the first time in the middle of the 19th century. Jaunlatvieshi (the New Latvians), the ideologists of the first national awakening, turned to folk songs in order to demonstrate that Latvians have the right to be considered an indivisible nation. The folk songs were a cultural phenomenon that was used to prove that Latvians have a national distinguishing characteristic. The fact that the folk songs originated in the distant past reaffirmed the nation’s antiquity, its independent history and prospects of persevering in the future. The great number of traditionalists and their cultural unity was turned into a symbolic basis for the nation’s solidarity. The widespread movement of accumulating folklore at the end of the 19th century truly was a task that consolidated the nation.

The Latvians returned to these ideas between the 1920s and 1940s, when the newly-founded national State wished to shape a nationally unique culture and the folk songs served as a source for ascertaining the Latvian national character, soul, taste, etc. Group public singing as a symbolic expression of the nation’s collective consciousness is a solid tradition in Latvian culture. The song-festival tradition that was established during the period of the first revival continues to thrive even today. Collective public singing was also one of the weapons used in the non-violent battle of the third national awakening. The political events that resulted in Latvia freeing itself from the Soviet Empire were not named the "Revolution of Song" in vain.

In the 1990s, following the re-establishment of state sovereignty, the image of the singing nation is surfacing in public debates on the return to Europe and how the Latvian national identity will be influenced by alignment with the European Union.

What will 9,000 hands have in common during the NATO Summit in Riga 2006 November? 4,500 pairs of traditional hand-made Latvians mittens!

Each pair features a unique design, utilizing a wide variety of traditional colors, patterns and symbols. For Latvians, mittens are much more than a way to warm your hands. Every ethnographic Latvian mitten tells a story, marks an anniversary and represents a specific region in Latvia (Vidzeme, Zemgale, Latgale and Kurzeme.) Some mitten designs are specially intended for weddings or other special events. There is even a rich tradition of folkloric etiquette associated with the wearing, storing and displaying of mittens.

Each of them will be a product of individual handwork whose quality is recognised worldwide and will be a special souvenir of Latvia, as every pair of mittens will be unique.

In 1920s-30s there were four official awards in the Republic of Latvia: Lacplesis Military Order, the Order of the Three Stars, Viesturs Order and the Cross of Acknowledgement. The Military Order and the Order of the Three Stars were awarded by the Board of the Orders. In 1938, when Viesturs Order and the Cross of Acknowledgement were founded, the authority of the Board of the Order was restricted to Lacplesis Order, the other decorations being conferred by the Kapitel of the Order. In 1940 the Occupation rule abolished the awards of Latvia. After the restoration of Latvia's independence, on 25th October 1994 the Order of the Three Stars was restored.