What does Riga look like at Christmas?
Riga is the capital of Latvia, on the banks of the Daugava River, close to the Baltic Sea. The Old Town has tall church spires and cobbled streets, and the new town is lined with Art Nouveau houses whose fronts are covered in faces, flowers and ornaments. In December, everything fills with lights and the smell of gingerbread.
The Dome Square market
Riga’s Christmas market is usually held in Dome Square, called Doma laukums in Latvian, right below the tower of Riga Cathedral, built in the 13th century. Wooden huts decorated with garlands sell gingerbread, wooden toys, wool mittens and amber jewelry.
What do you find at the market?
- Piparkūkas, Latvian gingerbread biscuits with ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
- Amber, “the gold of the Baltic Sea”, in beads and pendants.
- Wool mittens with Latvian patterns and carved wooden toys.
- Hot tea with honey and alcohol-free berry drinks.
What can kids do in Riga?
- Look for faces on the houses on the Art Nouveau streets: lions, fairies and masks carved in stone.
- See the House of the Blackheads, an old merchants’ house covered in ornaments.
- Taste warm piparkūkas at the Dome Square market.
- Look at the Daugava River from the bridge, with the city lit up behind it.
Two Latvian winter customs
The ķekatas mummers
During the holidays, people dress up as mummers, called ķekatas, in costumes made of natural materials. They go from house to house, sing, bring good wishes and chase away the winter darkness.
Pūzuri, the straw ornaments
Pūzuri are geometric ornaments made of straw or reed, hung above the table. According to old belief, they bring light, luck and well-being into the home.
A taste of Latvia: piparkūkas
Piparkūkas are gingerbread biscuits with honey and warm spices, crisp and fragrant. Their recipe and a hot honey and lemon tea, to make together with an adult, are in the book.
How do you say “Merry Christmas!” in Latvian?
Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus!
Try saying it at dinner on Christmas Eve.
What word did Mira discover here?
In each of the eleven cities of the journey, Mira finds a special word. The word from Riga is written in her Christmas passport, at the end of chapter 10.
