Easter in Latvia

The Christian festival of Easter is celebrated in Latvia as Lieldienas. Lieldienas enters Holy Week with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, but Sunday will mark first Lieldienas. Second Lieldienas is on Monday of the following week. Each day has a special significance. Also, many pagan elements of celebrating Lieldienas have become a tradition.

Nowadays, the common date of Lieldienas is the first Sunday after the first full moon, after or during the vernal equinox (it is the moment at which the center of the visible Sun is directly abovethe Equator). The Western Christian Church Lieldienas falls on a date between 22 March and 25 April. In Eastern Orthodox Churches, which used the Julian calendar, Lieldienas falls on a date between 4 April and 8 May in Gregorian calendar.

Before the arrival of Christianity, Lieldienas was a spring solstice event, celebrating the victory of light over darkness.

We use eggs, rise, buckwheat, thy me and stockings to make these perfect colored eggs.

Here are some interesting Beliefs.

Egg-related beliefs:

• Who steals an Easter egg - will remain naked like an egg!
• Who eats an Easter egg without salt - will lie all summer!
• Exchange eggs during "Lieldienas" - other wise chickens will not lay and chicks will not hatch!
• If a girl during "Lieldienas" gives to a guy 2 eggs, it would imply - "I don't like you". If 3 - "Better than nothing". If 4 - "I don't like you, but since you'rerich, I will be with you". If 5 - "I have been waiting for you for a longtime!"

Swing-related beliefs:

Hanging swings and selecting a place was a special honorable duty. Swings were usually made from oak or ashen poles. Swings location was chosen on the hill, between 2 oak trees. Along with the swinging occurred a great singing.

The celebration could not go on without beating eggs. Each received their egg in their hands and thought of a wish; then 2 people clapped their eggs with thin ends together. Whose egg does not break - their wish would come true. Eggs were also rolled - via a special chute.

When the sun rose on Lieldienas morning, just above the horizon, people swung 3 times on one side of a swing, and 3 times on the other side.