Our writer returns from Latvia’s Midsummer celebrations, where skyscraping bonfires, folk rituals and flaming barrels on poles offer a lively introduction to an ancient festival.
“Līst kā pa Jāņiem” (it’s raining like on Midsummer) is a common refrain you’ll hear at least once on a trip to Latvia. So, when the heavens opened at three o’clock in the morning while I was standing in front of what was once a towering bonfire, it didn’t come as a surprise, and it wasn’t unwelcome. I was simply ticking off the main elements of the Midsummer celebration in true Latvian fashion: eating cheese, drinking beer, staying up all night and getting drenched by the rain. Countries all over Europe and beyond mark the longest day of the year (we’ve surely all seen the 2019 film Midsommar by now), but in Latvia, the celebrations have their own special days – Līgo on 23 June, and Jāņi on 24 June.
MIDSUMMER’S EVE
“For us, Midsummer is bigger than Christmas – it doesn’t even come close,” my guide Laura Aksika told me. Preparations had begun weeks beforehand, when wood was slowly gathered to start building the aforementioned bonfire. The fire has to last the whole night, until the sun returns. Those gathered around it serve as guardians of the light, protecting others in attendance from evil spirits. Celebrations typically take place outside of the cities, and shortly after arriving at my host’s home, near Madona in Latvia’s Vidzeme region, my own preparations began.
Both married and unmarried women are expected to wear flower crowns, typically made from wildflowers (preferably at least nine different kinds, for luck), so I went to hunt for appropriate flora in the fields. Surprisingly, I was able to pull my crown together without too much difficulty, even if it admittedly looked a lot more chaotic than those created by my fellow ‘braiders’. The men are expected to wear plainer oak-leaf wreaths, which the women prepare alongside the decorations for the jāņuguns – a pole topped with a barrel that is later set alight.
“We’re decorating our men and other phallic objects,” a fellow guest chuckled. The festival is a celebration of the fertility god Jānis, after all. Every element of the evening is shrouded in symbolism. With a focus on celebrating the sun, round foods are the order of the day, including Jāņu siers, a Latvian cheese with caraway seeds that is made especially for the night, as consuming it is believed to bless the cows. Similarly, beer is drunk to ensure that the barley will grow.
During the Soviet occupation of Latvia, Jāņi celebrations were banned as part of Russification efforts, yet the traditions continued in secret, or under the guise of celebrating the name days of those called Jānis or Līgo. Midsummer’s Eve is integral to the national identity, so much so that it is included in Latvia’s Cultural Canon, a curated selection of the country’s most important treasures. This also includes folk songs, of which there are 1.2 million on record, around a third of which concern Midsummer.
Many of the songs theorise what the sun goddess Saulė is up to while she’s away, and plenty are improvised. “This is a living tradition; it’s not contained in a jar. The moment it is only taught in schools – that is when it is dead,” Laura explained. My own knowledge of Latvian is limited to sveiki (hello) and priekā (cheers), but joining in was easy, as many of the songs contained the refrain “līgo, līgo” (pronounced ‘lee-gwa’). As the night progressed, there was plenty of dancing and cheering, as well as jāņuguns and a fire cross that was set alight. Both have symbolic purposes, as well as giving us something to do instead of sleeping. Once the sun finally rose above the horizon at 4.22am, there was only one thing left to do: jump over the bonfire for luck. I did it twice for good measure.
HIGHLIGHTS
Midsummer celebrations call for folk costumes, and while I got to learn about the clothing’s symbolism from my guide, you can also visit Senā klēts, Riga’s National Costume Centre.
Displays explain its two types of costume: ethnographic and archaeological. The latter of these is based on fragments dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries – and there are examples from each region. It’s a good spot for souvenirs, too, as there are dozens of styles of mitten for sale, each pattern telling its own story.
One of the most striking buildings in the capital is the National Library of Latvia. Created by Latvian-born architect Gunnar Birkerts, its design references two tales in the nation’s heritage: The Glass Mountain and Castle of Light. The view from the 11th floor over the city is spectacular, but the highlight for me was the chance to see the Dainu skapis (Cabinet of Folksongs), which is part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme. Created by Latvian folklorist Krišjānis Barons, the cabinet contains around 300,000 folk songs and other texts, all collected between 1894 and 1915.
MUST DO
The skyline of Riga is defined by its church spires, so leaving without visiting a church is inconceivable. St Peter’s has a viewing tower at the top; you’ll also be able to see another of the city’s symbols – the rooster – inside, in the form of one of its previous weathervanes. Alternatively, head to Riga Cathedral for organ music concerts almost every day at noon.
Seasonal joys (top to bottom):
- Sigulda is known for its fall colours, especially during the first weeks of October;
- the National Library of Latvia houses 4 million books, periodicals and manscripts;
- St Peter’s is topped by its famous rooster weathervane.
Top tip: While Midsummer is the biggest of the traditional celebrations, there are others throughout the year, including Miķeļi, a harvest festival around the autumn equinox, and Ziemas Saulgrieži, the winter solstice. Less traditional, but still a good excuse to visit, is the light festival Staro Rīga in November.
Sadly I missed out on: Sigulda, also in Vidzeme, is known as the ‘capital of autumn’ in Latvia. When the foliage changes colour, it’s best viewed from Turaida Castle, or from the cable car passing over the Gauja River.
The author travelled with support from the National Tourism Board of Latvia – Latvia Travel (latvia.travel/en)