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L AT VIA
Diversity of colours in Latvia
Estonia
Baltic Sea
Russia
RIGA
VIESITE
Lithuania
CULTURE
Folk song festival. Gala concert in Riga. About 15000 singers are taking
part
LATVIAN NATIONAL SONG
AND DANCE FESTIVAL
• Since 1873 the has taken place.
• The amateur groups from all around Latvia come together in Riga, in
order to join their voices in a powerful chorus and dance folk dances.
• The Song Festival anthem "Sun, Thunder, Daugava" was written by the
Latvian composer Mārtiņš Brauns.
• Foreigners have admitted – only here at the song festival can one fully
see the wonderful and powerful soul of Latvia.
SONG AND DANCE
• Every five years, for one week. This is the time frame for the main event in
CELEBRATION
Latvian cultural life - the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Festival.
• It involves hundreds of choirs and folk dance groups, entrancing thousands
in the audience.
• The Festival has earned high honour internationally, being included on the
UNESCO Oral History and Non-material Cultural Heritage List.
• The next Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Festival will be held in 2018,
as a tribute to Latvia on its 100th birthday.
FOLK DANCERS
FOLK DANCERS AND FOLK
COSTUMES
PAGAN TRADITIONS
• Do not miss the most Latvian holidays of all –the night from June
23 to June 24 (in harmony with the summer solstice), when people
participate in joyous festivities, just as their ancestors did centuries
ago.
• On the longest day and shortest night of the year, Latvians make
garlands, drink beer, eat caraway cheese, sing, dance, and go to sauna,
all up until dawn!
FESTIVE MARKETS
• Selonia, Augšzeme, and Aukštaitia all mean highland. The first is derived
from Livonian through German, the second is Latvian, and the third is
Lithuanian.
• The Selonians (Latvian:Sēļi) were a tribe of Baltic peoples. They lived
until the 15th century in Selonia, located in southeastern Latvia and
northeasternLithuania.They eventually merged with neighbouring
tribes, contributing to the ethnogenesis of
modern Latvians and Lithuanians. They spoke theEastern
Baltic Selonian language.
SELONIAN FOLK COSTUMES
SELONIAN TYPICAL FOOD
WELCOME TO LATVIA!