How Latvian Christmas is Different than United States

Both the United States (US) and Latvia celebrate Christmas, and yet they offer vastly different experiences for residents and visitors. Comparing and contrasting the two countries based on culture, history, residents, and my experience thus far. I will show just how different and similar they really are in symbolic meaning of Christmas.

Both US and Latvia display decorated Christmas trees. In the United States artificial evergreen trees are wrapped round and round with miniature string lights and loaded with ornaments by the end of November. Ornaments are store bought and nearly every bough hangs something Christmas themed, usually made from glass and other colorful shiny materials. Complete with tree topper sometimes a star or angel.

In Latvia, the first traditional decorated Christmas tree was here. Therefore, real Christmas trees are common around town. They are wrapped in lights with round reflective glass bulbs. The bulbs are larger and vary in sizes and color. Personal Christmas tree is decorated the week of Christmas quite often the day before.

In both countries Christmas lights are used to decorate for the holiday. In the US it seems lights and decorations are spectacular everywhere, with hundreds of thousands tiny twinkling lights strung in trees, bushes, and even outline our housetops. Colorful blow up decorations and laser machines bounce lights into holiday designs onto garage doors and yards. Americans hang lights and decorations everywhere and retail stores use decorations for holiday merchandising.

In Latvia, Christmas lights seem more minimal in attraction. The outdoor light display is mostly strings crisscrossing main street, or in a park near downtown. Oversize lighted snowflakes can be seen hanging from a street lamp or along bus routes. An occasional shop owner displays a string of lights in a window frame. The real Christmas tree is strung with only a couple strings, not dozens.

Both countries bring family together and enjoy a large dinner of traditional foods. In the US Christmas day is preferred for the holiday traditions. A roasted turkey stuffed with dressing is center stage with mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green beans, bread, and pumpkin pie.

In Latvia, the main event is Christmas Eve, where grey peas cooked with bacon/ pork sauce, bacon rolls, cabbage with sauce, pies, sausage rolls, beetroot, and gingerbread cookies are traditional dishes on the table.

Both countries shop for and give gifts at Christmas time. However, in the US, Christmas merchandise starts to crowd the shelves in stores during late summer. In late November, shoppers are frantically running around buying multiple gifts as to not miss the special holiday sales. At the cash registers there is always something Christmas themed nearby for impulsive shoppers.  Americans buy and receive multiple gifts for the holidays, and then return or re-gift a few items.

In Latvia, it’s hard to notice Christmas on the street. The stores are not decorated for the holidays and Christmas items are not rolled out throughout the aisles. There are no storewide Christmas sales, and no Christmas clothes to merchandise. I have yet to see even a Santa Claus. The Latvian outdoor Christmas markets are wonderful, small outdoor huts with small handcrafted items or delicious homemade food and drink, usually located near the center of town in a cluster of shops with a live Christmas tree decorated. These small huts show up in December but are not very crowded until almost Christmas or winter Solstice. We observed handmade socks and scarves and special cheeses and desserts. In Riga, few stores have a parking lot next door, so people walk and carry small shopping bags back to their homes. Latvians focus on one or two small gifts to give to each other.

Although United States and Latvia celebrate Christmas, each has vastly different experiences. While a US Christmas tends to be flashy and full of presents, Latvia seems a bit modest and unimposing in offerings. Either way, one is not better than the other, but rather a different way to experience the symbolic meanings of Christmas.

Feeding Latvia One Bag at a Time

 

Samaritan Association of Latvia (LSA) is a voluntary, independent, social welfare organization whose motto is Happy to help! It is one of the successful non-governmental organizations helping in Latvia, as a provider of many social services, a medical and educational institution. LSA implements several charity projects and has been operating for more than 30 years.

The need for food assistance is significant in the Baltic States and LSA conducts food drives with grocery stores and donation drop boxes, collecting non-perishable food donations. In the northern part of Riga sits a storage facility where donated food is dropped off, stored, and sorted before it is taken to the vulnerable population and residents living in Latvia.

With limited shelving space and no way to keep produce and other perishable food cold, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was asked if they could help provide funding to purchase storage shelves for dry goods, a walk-in freezer, and an oversized commercial refrigerator. The Church was happy to support this organization to improve its ability to serve others.

Samaritan provides food and food delivery for the needy. The number of individuals and families asking for food service is around 800 per month and during the holidays the demand is even higher. Bags of food are loaded into the van and drivers deliver the food packages around Riga and nearby neighborhoods.

Humanitarian missionaries, Brad and Lynda Blau escorted us to this location as the items had arrived and were installed. We so much admire LSA for all it does to provide relief for those in the community.

 

What Type of People Volunteer to Serve a Mission?

 

I never realized how awesome senior missionaries are! Greg and I just spent two weeks at the MTC in Provo, Utah for training. I was able to visit with dozens of missionaries throughout the day.  Everyone had a unique story of how they came to serve a mission, and why they wanted to serve at their own expense for up to two years.

The 147 senior missionaries we met at the MTC were from a diverse and vast background. A few had just joined the church five years ago and wanted to serve while others have been members their whole lives. Some had never traveled far from home while others had traveled the world over. One couple in their forties, retired early to serve while others were in their eighties. All are willing to volunteer up to two years of their life, leave their grandchildren, and venture out into the world to give service.

Many senior missionaries are professionals with advanced college degrees, others with impressive resumes; some are business owners, or corporate executives. A few were ranchers, farmers and other blue collar workers. Some women never worked outside their homes. At least one couple decided to retire early and a few couples took a sabbatical to serve a mission. There were widows who desired to serve solo.

A common story I heard was the couple sold their home and claimed to be “homeless” and when they return they would decide where they would choose to live. Many sold their vehicles or gave it to their children. Several couples we met had served a senior mission prior and were going back out for their second or third full-time mission. But for most couples it was their first opportunity to go on a senior mission together.

One couple is assigned to Kazakhstan where they will be around very few members of the church in a Muslim country. Two couples were serving in United Arab Emirates where they are not allowed to wear a church name badge. A retired National Park Ranger and his wife were being sent to Amman, Jordon to do humanitarian work with thousands of refugees in the country. An engineer was going to India to help provide water wells for those in drought prone areas.

Everyone I met talked of grandchildren and how hard it was to leave them behind. But when asked why they decided to serve a mission, one couple joked “to get out of free babysitting”. Most couples expressed the desire to serve those in need and they admitted they were so richly blessed and this was their way to give back their time, talents, and abilities. Now isn’t that the way Christ would have us be?

“Let all your things be done with charity.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

A Fur Hat and A Missionary Badge

We arrived at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah. We’re thankful to serve in the Baltic Mission, as we start our journey today. 

Side note, a retired wildlife biologist in our district identified my fur hat as Artic Fox. It's fur turning from summer to winter, hence, the white fur with brown tips. Love knowing this.

We woke to a fresh blanket of snow at the MTC here in Utah. Unlike most missionaries here, these young LDS missionaries are bronze and are riding bikes throughout the world that symbolizes dedicated missionary work.

Our Senior Missionary group is the largest of the year, about 70 couples and 7 single sisters arrived at the MTC on Monday. Some of the places these couples are reporting to are Spain, South Africa, Australia, India, Zambia, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil, Cape Verde, England, Bosnia, Trinidad, Panama, Guatemala and so many other far reaching countries. We are thrilled there so many volunteers to give of their time for eighteen months. The senior missionary force right now for the Church is about half of what it was pre-pandemic roughly 25,000.

No one can tell us the exact number of junior missionaries here at the MTC, but I’ve heard more than 1200. Yesterday, about 400 new young volunteers arrived to begin their studies. This small district of missionaries are studying the “Preach My Gospel” handbook. They are studying to be effective missionaries for when they are sent to their assigned area.

After our large group welcome meeting on Monday, we are divided into districts. These are the Sisters in my district. Cooper - Armenia/Georgia Humanitarian, Smith - Abu Dhabi Humanitarian, Hyde - Amman Jordan Humanitarian, Thurston - India Bengaluru Humanitarian, Morris - Cape Town Durban Humanitarian, Capson - Kazakhstan Humanitarian, Sylvester - Scotland/Ireland MLS, Ostler - Dubai MLS. We are excited to be rubbing elbows with these retired volunteers.