There are many traditions tied to the Līgo flower crown. Some say it protects you from misfortune, others believe it brings good luck, love, or even helps you dream of your future. Some wear it just for beauty — to feel a part of nature, even if only for a night. But the one I … More The Crown That Stays
When it comes to making a ziedu vainags (flower crown), you don’t need wire, thread, string, or tape. Nature gives us everything we need. With just wildflowers and smilgas (bentgrass or other strong wild grass), you can make a crown that stays firm, holds its shape beautifully, and brings joy both in midsummer and long … More Make your own Flower Crown!
After the summer solstice celebrations, our home always feels a bit enchanted, filled with lingering scents of wilting birch trees – meijas (in Latvian), drying flower crowns, and wildflowers & grasses slowly fading in every vase. This year, my bouquet of Jāņu zāles brought a little extra magic I hadn’t expected. I had carefully gathered … More The Magic Dust of Līgo!
What a magical celebration we had! 🌿☀️ Let’s start with Linna’s Rhubarb pie, it was delicious. You can find the recipe here: Perfect Rhubarb custard pie. Yesterday we welcomed Līgo night with what might have been the biggest bonfire we’ve ever made – seriously, it was huge! Flames reaching high into the sky, sparks dancing in … More Our Līgo and Jāņi – Bonfire, Tradition, and Trout!
Nelle turned a year older, and we celebrated quietly but sweetly. I baked the birthday cake with help from Linna. She was so proud to help, and the cake turned out lovely. We lit the candles, sang the birthday song, and smiled at how quickly these little ones grow. It was one of those rare … More Nelle’s 13th Birthday
The excitement is building up—only two days left until Nelle’s birthday party! We are busy preparing and can hardly wait to celebrate together. Also, the weather is terrible! SO, party will be inside! Yesterday, we had a lovely potato planting “party” in the garden. In Latvian, we call such a gathering a talka — it’s … More Till Nelle’s Birthday Party Only 2 Days!
Today is my name day—a special day in Latvia and many other European countries where names hold as much meaning as birthdays. Unlike birthdays, which are personal and unique, name days are communal celebrations, with others who share your name also marking the occasion. It’s a lovely tradition that brings a sense of connection and … More Celebrating My Name Day!
Yesterday, I saw something magical—a horse and sleigh gliding through the snow. It felt like stepping into a winter wonderland. This wasn’t a tourist sleigh but a 100-year-old Latvian worker’s sleigh, originally used for hauling wood from the forest. No one does that anymore! This one had been cleverly repurposed into a sitting sleigh, with … More A Glimpse of the Past: Horse and Sleigh Gliding Through the Snow
I usually don’t reflect on my blog stats, but I couldn’t resist after reading Deborah’s inspiring blog post here: Reader Favorites 2024. Her retrospective gave me the nudge to look back at what resonated with you all this year. Despite being away from blogging for four years, I returned to this space in August 2024 … More Your Most Loved Posts of 2024
Advent here in Latvia is nothing without gingerbread cookies. The sweet, spicy aroma fills the house, making it feel like Christmas no matter what. The key to achieving those perfectly crisp and melting-in-your-mouth Latvian gingerbread cookies is the spice blend—without it, they’re just not the same. Everyone else used store-bought gingerbread spice mix, but not … More Grandmother’s 1940 Gingerbread Spice Mix
I’ve been on sick leave since last Monday, and it’s been a rollercoaster. Just when I think I’m improving, the symptoms come back. It all started with an itchy throat, nose, and ear canals, like everything was irritated from the inside. Then, a stubborn cough joined in, along with this mucus that just won’t budge, … More Sick Leave Struggles and Missing Lāčplēsis Day Traditions
Ugh, it’s that time of year again. I’m sick, I’m grumpy, and November feels like it’s just the gloomy bridge between October’s colorful autumn and December’s Christmas cheer. Gray skies, endless rain, and not much to brighten things up… just plain dreary. November really can be a drag. Oh, wait a minute there are some … More November Blues
My previous blog post was the recipe for gray peas. I shared it without thinking about “gray peas” as itself. Big Gray Peas are easy to get here in Latvia cause it turns out is something completely special. So special that have been enlisted in the European Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) list. Gray peas are … More Latvian Gray Peas
This is one of the traditional Latvian dishes for the autumn and winter season. It is traditional Latvian Christmas dish! I usually make gray peas more than needed and then heat them up on the next day but not on New Year’s Eve! On the New Year’s Eve, everyone has to eat peas in order not … More Grey Peas With Bacon & Onions
Traditional Latvian kitchen isn’t complete without caraway seeds. Rainy summer day. I and my granny are sitting in the old firewood shed. We are sitting on the table cloth. In front of us is a big pile of dried caraway plant whisk. We are taking them one by one into our hands. Rub the umbel … More Caraway seeds and my granny
Jāņi 2017. Celebrated at Salacgriva (my hometown), Latvia. I made floral head wreaths (I don’t know another name!!!) for all girls and me and Jāņi cheese like planned. This time it Jāņi cheese wasn’t that good. The first thing to do when I’ll get back home – find my Jāņi cheese recipe and post it … More Līgo / Jāņi 2017
I wrote about Līgo and Jāņi in one of my previous blog posts. I wanted to make Jāņu siers (cheese), floral head wreath and spend time together with friends. And we did it! Unfortunately, my photos from Līgo are too big for our mobile network. Somehow WordPress app doesn’t want to upload them. ;( I hope to … More Līgo / Jāņi celebration
As I wrote yesterday – tomorrow is Līgo. And if the weather will be nice – we will celebrate it. About Latvian traditions on Līgo and Jāņi, you can read in my previous post. I’m a busy bee today. Time to clean caravan and get ready for tomorrow’s celebrations. First things first – I have to … More Getting ready for Līgo
Today is my name day. When I was a child I loved name days and always got a small present or flowers from my mom. When I started to work we celebrate “National day of Ilze” with the collages. There are lot’s of Ilze in Latvia (Jānis is even more popular!). A bit of a statistics: Resident … More Nameday
a day in the life of a latvian mom 