Baltic Christmas Day 2 - The Holiday Markets

How I wish I could spend the weekends before Christmas flying from city to city, enjoying the various Christmas tirdziņi that take place at the Latvian centers across the world! Growing up, the numerous congregations in Chicago each staked out a weekend for their market. Then on the third Saturday, the Latvian School would host theirs; this is the one I would sometimes join, hawking handmade ornaments and cards. In recent years we only attend the holiday markets virtually, guessing at all the beautiful handmade gifts to be found, the imagined smell of pīrāgi and skābie kāposti making us long for the days a Baltic Christmas market was only a short car ride away.

There are some cities that host their markets in November* and a few more that this year fell yesterday, December 1^st (the first Saturday), but with more than a dozen tirdziņi still to come there is plenty of time to score the perfect Lithuanian, Estonian or Latvian present! Events are listed by date and alphabetical order by state (or country/city).

(The San Francisco Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities had their annual Christmas market yesterday, Dec. 1)

Today, December 2^nd

CA (Los Angeles): Jõululaat/Christmas Fair hosted by Estonian Society of Los Angeles/ Los Angelese Eesti Selts (source)

CO (Lakewood): The Colorado Latvians Christmas bazaar starts at 11am (source)

IL (Chicago): 9:30am The Latvian Daugavas Vanagi Christmas bazaar (source)

IL (Lemont): 10am-3pm: A merry holiday market at the Lithuanian World Center (source)

MA (Brookline): 12-3:30pm The Boston Latvian Church Christmas Bazaar (organizer)

MD (Rockville): 12pm Washington DC Latvian Lutheran Church annual Christmas Bazaar (source)

NY (Melville): 10:30am The NY Latvian Ev. Lutheran congregation’s annual Christmas bazaar at the Salas Church (source)

Friday, December 7th 

PA (Applebachsville): 10-4pm Kringle Christmas Shoppe featuring Latvian amber artists (source)

Saturday, December 8th

Canada (Montreal): 1-5pm: Jõulu Basaar, the annual Christmas bazaar hosted by the Montreal Estonian Society (source)

Canada (Toronto): 12-4pm Rahvajõulupuu 2017 / An Estonian Christmas at the Toronto Estonian House (source)

PA (Applebachsville): 10-4pm Kringle Christmas Shoppe featuring Latvian amber artists (source)

Sunday, December 9th

IL (Chicago): 9am Ciānas annual Christmas market (source) 

MD (Baltimore): 11:30-6pm Baltimorės Lietuvių Namuose Kalėdinė Mugė hosted by the Lithuanian Hall of Baltimore (source)

PA (Applebachsville): 10-4pm Kringle Christmas Shoppe featuring Latvian amber artists (source)

Saturday, December 15th

IL (Chicago): 9am-3pm The Latvian School of Chicago’s annual Christmas bazaar
IN (Indianapolis): 10am-2pm Christmas market at the Indianapolis Latvian Community Center (source)

NY (NYC): 12pm-6pm Holiday market in the Daugavas Vanagu nams including concert by Elizabete Zagorksa and Atis Auzāns (source)

WI (Milwaukee): 11am-3pm Christmas Bazaar at the Latvian House of Milwaukee, hosted by Milwaukee Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Holy Trinity Church (source)

Denmark (Velje): 2-5pm Latviešu-dāņu biedrības Ziemassvētku eglīte un tirdziņš (source)

Please comment if you know of any Baltic Christmas markets/bazaars that I have missed – I will add them as I get them and I thank you in advance for your help!

Please, shop local and shop thoughtful this holiday season! Supporting the local tirdziņi is a great way to support the local craftspeople who are making traditional Baltic jewelry, textile goods and other handmade products, and not only do you get presents out of the deal, you also get fresh piparkūkas, oftentimes a warm lunch, and the company of other Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians in this very merry holiday season! Cheerful shopping and welcome back tomorrow on day three of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas for the Baltic holiday checklist!

* For future knowledge, those considering attending a Baltic Christmas market in November should look into the dates for the following:

- The Estonian House in Riverwoods, IL hosts the International Christmas Market “Jõululaat” on what is usually the second Saturday of the month. Holiday fun with Baltic and Scandinavian flare! (source)

- The Seattle Latvian Christmas Bazaar at the Latvian Cultural Center is often on the second weekend of November. (source)

- The Oregon Latvian Society, St. Peter's Latvian Lutheran Church, the Latvian Society of Philadelphia the Northern California Latvian Association and the NY Estonian House all have wonderful markets, which this year fell on December 1st. For a full list, see the 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas Facebook event page.