Yet Another Baltic Christmas - Day 16 and the winter solstice

Today on Day 16 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas we welcome Daina, another repeat contributor to the series! Her post on Latvian Christmas Cards featured some gorgeous Kalmīte watercolors that I still think of when the holiday card-writing season begins, however this week she is inspired by the approach of saulgrieži, which falls on December 21^st…

Latvian winters are traditionally cold and - most of all - dark. In Riga on December 21, the sun will rise at 9:00am, and set at 3:43pm, which calculates to a mere six hours and 43 minutes of daylight. Before Latvians were converted to Christianity, they celebrated winter solstice on the year’s shortest day with festivities that included songs, food, fire, and various traditions. After all, if you are experiencing 17+ hours of darkness on a daily basis for several weeks, it seems only natural to create a celebration to look forward to.

While few Latvians now mark the winter solstice, it – like all other Latvian holidays – is a joy to celebrate. Several friends and I do so every year, and while our celebration is quite traditional, one could also celebrate in a simpler and  less traditional way.

The most distinct tradition is bluķa vilkšana, or the pulling of the Yule log. A heavy rope is tied around a large log, and everyone grabs hold of the rope, proceeding to pull the log around the house three times. This action pulls all of the bad spirits, memories, and energies out of the home and into the log. While pulling the log, everyone sings and makes noise to further scare off bad spirits.

Once the triple rotation around the abode is done, everyone gathers round the log and takes turn chopping it. While chopping, each individual deposits their unpleasant memories and negative experiences from the past year into the log. Afterward, the log, all the small pieces, and even tiny wood chips that have been chopped off are burned to rid the world of last year's negativity.

Photo credit: Andris Rūtiņš

Naturally, if one lives in a townhouse or apartment, the pulling of the Yule log would be difficult to accomplish, so my suggestion would be to either build a fire in one’s fireplace and write any unpleasant memories from the past year on slips of paper to burn in the fire, or to simply fill one’s home with many candles for beautiful natural light and mentally rid oneself of last year’s negative thoughts. In a simple modern interpretation, winter solstice could be viewed as a cozy winter evening to close out the year and begin the transition to longer days, spring, and – finally – summer solstice!

As with any Latvian celebration, food plays an integral part of the winter solstice festivities. Hearty foods such as a pork roast, sauerkraut, potatoes and – of course - everyone’s favorites: pīrāgi and piparkūkas are often served.

Photo credit: Andris Rūtiņš

If you ever find yourself in Riga near the winter solstice, be sure to check out the annual solstice event at the Ethnographic Open Air Museum; this year it takes place on Sunday, December 18th. 

Paldies Daina! This post originally appeared on her blog Latvian-American Adventures and Opinions as Winter Solstice the Latvian Way, and is reprinted with permission. You can also catch Daina on twitter @mana_dziesma.