Latvia Local Events

There are a number of festivals, cultural celebrations and events in Latvia all year round. Check out the exciting local events in Riga.

Jani or Janu Diena (St John's Day) is an important festival celebrated all around the Baltics. St John's Day is the most important summer celebration in the Latvian festival calendar. Throughout Latvia there are all night parties in which people make fires, sing songs, dance, make and wear wreaths of flowers, drink specially brewed beer and eat cheese ("St John's chee", made with caraway). Men called Janis are honoured with oak wreaths and young people go into the forest to hunt for a fern that is believed only to bloom on this night, said to bring love and happiness to all who find it.