Latvia

HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS

National Holidays

Festivities to celebrate the New Year begin in the evening of December 31 In recent years, both the President and Prime Minister address the people on national TV. While champagne toasts are common, many Latvian families partake in a variety of traditional rituals to ensure good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

FOR TURIST

Latvia travel advice

Most visits to Latvia are trouble-free.

There have been reports of increased petty theft and robbery, including pickpocketing. There have also been reports of drinks being spiked in establishments and tourists being charged extortionate prices for drinks or having fraudulent transactions debited against credit/debit cards.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Drinking tea in Latvia

In Latvia, ancient rustic wisdom dictates that the leaves and grasses used for herbal tea be picked when the fields are in bloom, shortly before Midsummer\'s Eve, right after the dew dries on a clear, sunny morning, and left to dry for two weeks in a cool, dark, and draughty place.