I Went to the Strangest Christmas Event in Riga Latvia 🇱🇻

[@wknd001]

justin eastern europe, i am from ireland and i love your content in Latvia, it's interesting, entertaining, funny, and educational. Keep it up

[@J.E.E]

Thank you so much for watching . 👍👌

[@wknd001]

No problem, Justin. Also, I wanted to add on one of my previous comments… I advised you to create videos ‘15-20 minute’ videos. Although I believe these times are a good standard to stick by, do not let time limit you when it comes to creating videos. For example, if you have a lot of amazing content recorded all from one experience, then don’t be afraid to upload a 40 min long video. Your content is the most important factor and is what we love! 💙

[@MrTycoon1995]

pff it's so interesting to see someone communicate that freely with so many people in different languages. feels like freedom

[@J.E.E]

Complete freedom, I agree! Thank you for watching. Will be making videos on how you too can speak languages as I do, so stay tuned

[@Yelly2012]

Very nice videos Justin. Your latvian pronunciation is great. Well done.

[@J.E.E]

Thank you!👍👌

[@unsalmutercimler8352]

Thanks Dear Justin

[@dalbirsingh8944]

Wow beautiful Happy Christmas

[@J.E.E]

Thank you mate and wishing you all the best👍

[@dalbirsingh8944]

Thank you Justin brother

[@norman1959]

Hi Justin. Nice to see you again in Latvia.

[@J.E.E]

Thank you mate... Lovely to be here🙏👍

[@MrPatch72]

Jaysus Justin that was a hard landing,hope you weren't too sore the next day.

[@J.E.E]

No mate... It was all god, but thank you for asking👍

[@Crackers2549]

Now in Riga Justin...! The "ramblin traveling man".... Love it...! Your viewership is growing my friend as I knew it would...GG

[@J.E.E]

Thank you mate so much for the support and motivation🙏👍

[@Crackers2549]

@@J.E.E Love watching it brother you do a great job…! It’s terrific!

[@Crazydragonman]

Amazing Justin, glad the fall was not that bad .The streets were all icy very dangerous due to change in temperatures.

[@J.E.E]

Thank you mate... It was crazy for a couple of days!

[@elliotnoble8551]

Fantastic video! Really unique and interesting celebrations! Hope you'd a great Christmas and New Year in Riga!

[@J.E.E]

Hello mate, I am so happy you enjoyed it. Holiday season was great and I wish you and yours a fantastic 2023🙏👍

[@BenAndGone]

Looks pretty cool!

[@J.E.E]

Was amazing👍

[@chubbawubba4287]

Very fun and interesting video. Cheers

[@J.E.E]

An amazing experience, so happy you enjoyed it.🙏👍

[@PembrokeshireBoyinThailand]

Most definitely more pagan than Christian !! Great video again Justin Keep them coming mate

[@J.E.E]

Thank you so much mate... Was not expecting that but it was a lot of fun 🤣

[@Markmywordschannel]

So interesting to see how other countries and cultures celebrate. Hope you had a great Christmas mate.

[@J.E.E]

Hello Mark, I agree, probably the best part of travelling for me is the different cultures All the best this year mate🙏👍

[@danw7198]

Looked an interesting experience , mulled wine would be great. Was a good video shocking fall too ! In there , hope you were not laid up too long from it 💪

[@J.E.E]

Hi mate, I think the wine helped the recovery... Next morning I was as good as new

[@eltenda]

We have warm wine in the north of Italy it's called Vin brule...very good during a skiing session

[@J.E.E]

The list of things we must do and try is getting bigger and bigger🤣👍

[@eltenda]

@@J.E.E yup!!!

[@artursbondars7789]

Ou... You went full native!😅 👍 Masking is traditional for all winter celebrations and all winter period in Latvia. This masking period starts from around November 6, Mārteņi celebration, till the February 6, Meteņi celebration. Throughout the Year there are eight big celebrations in traditional Latvian Sun calendar.

[@J.E.E]

Thank you mate for your feedback and insight. Full native was a real unique experience 👌👍

[@davidpolott1250]

I had an interesting and delicious variation of the glögg at a Konditorei in Tallinn about 10 days ago, after a three-hour bicycle tour of the city in sub freezing temperature. The sweet glögg was did hit the spot for sure. This glögg I believe was amber in colour (I believe was with apple juice and cinnamon added). Priekā!!

[@J.E.E]

Thank you very much for your input!

[@freshmaker4o]

Very interesting. In Bulgaria "Coleda" literally means Christmas. And there are those dressed, scary men, called "Kukeri", sometime after Christmas, who parade around and supposedly scare the evil spirits.

[@J.E.E]

Always fascinating to see how cultures intertwine. Thank you so much for sharing👍🙏

[@marutakelers1856]

Poor Justin! I hope you're ok, after that fall!. There's a tradition of mummering for the Winter Solstice in several European countries. The dragging of the log gathers up any evil spirits from the neighborhood, then the people would chop their grievances into the log, and burning it would take all the bad things away. "Dancojiet!" is a command, You (plural) dance! Here's a music video of mummering kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKrVmHabrrprY9U Thanks for sharing our traditions!

[@J.E.E]

Hi Maruta, So happy you enjoyed the video! Thanks for clarifying what the lady was saying, was loud. See you on the next one

[@samandarnathan228]

I'm big fan of u 🤠 hope I'll meet on the streets of Riga hahaha

[@J.E.E]

Thank you mate. Send me an Instagram we can meet in Riga

[@samandarnathan228]

samandar_akhmedugli_20

[@unscrupuloussloth44]

Are most Latvians into the pagan winter solstice celebration like this? I remember the summer celebration you went to seemed like a big deal. I find it fascinating that they are so in touch with their pagan roots, perhaps because they didn't become Christians till like the 13th century.

[@unscrupuloussloth44]

@@ervinvonhimmel Thank you for sharing all of that! As an American with mostly Anglo-Saxon roots I know little of our ancestors pagan traditions. It is intriguing to learn about pagan influence in modern Latvia.

[@drerri]

Im half latvian and while summer soltice is the biggest event of the year and celebrated by literally everyone. Winter solstice is celebrated less, my family just sing a few songs about it but doesn't dress up and go to these kinds of specific events (in that regard more like a "western" christmas celebration around the christmas tree with santa and presents).

[@unscrupuloussloth44]

@@drerri That's kind of what I thought; the summer solstice looked like a big party! I'd like to come see that one day.

[@J.E.E]

From my experience, the summer on is a much bigger thing! I assume once upon a time they were both equally celebrated, but I think that today there is an alternative option to the winter one, but the summer one is still unique. So a good reason for a mid season drink is always a good idea👍

[@unscrupuloussloth44]

@@J.E.E That makes sense; It looked like a blast! Your video of the summer festival in one of my favorites.

[@ianharvey5996]

We have the same festival on 21st Dec, penzance, cornwall, Montol festival, check it out on KZbin

[@J.E.E]

Would be cool to make a comparative video next year👌👍 Thanks for watching mate

[@ellens5183]

Was much more fun in Soviet times All joy but this kind of disturbing But miss my home so much this droomy rainy weather Jaleous of you being there

[@janisliepins]

Not fun fur latbians in soviet times at all it was 50y occupation. Soviets actuali banned crhristmas celebration, all people did it silently at home. Soviets just celebrete new year!

[@ellens5183]

@@janisliepins Protams tagad jau vienkārši latvieši dzīvo ka kungi. Smieklis nak

[@janisliepins]

@@ellens5183 es nesūdzos ir brīvība ja tuskumsti pēc padomnu laikiem tad tev starp ausīm ir tukšums

[@ellens5183]

@@janisliepins Tukšums dvēsele un galva ir tiem kas noveda tautu galīga nabadzība. Ja jau Tu viens no tiem tad protams nav ko sūdzēties atkal sev algas palielinājusi Nelieši un noziedznieki Normāli latvieši paši atzīst ka Padomju laikos bija labāk un pat ziņas rad

[@J.E.E]

Hi Ellen and thank you so much for watching. It was very different, but absolutely fascinating to see and experience

[@raivislacis7730]

Thay drag the logs to collect all evil and then burn the logs

[@J.E.E]

How interesting, i didn't know that!! Thanks for sharing, i really appreciate it!! 👍😃 Paldies

[@raivislacis7730]

I'm Latvian. If you need any help with making new videos, let me know. Thanks you for videos.

[@eltenda]

Different xmas for sure...but I can see both cultures mixing up.

[@J.E.E]

Yes, you can see how they have fused👍

[@justinchristy1896]

❤️❤️

[@J.E.E]

👍🙏

[@anniewho315]

There are two occasions when the sun stops rotating around the sun in one calendar year. Once, on June 24th and again on Dec 24th. When the sun stops rotating during the summer solstice, the sun also starts to decrease by 10 degrees each month. Hence, less of the sun directly hits the Earth and the weather starts to cool. Now on Dec 24th, the sun stops rotating and begins to rise by 10 degrees each month. The rising of the sun symbolizes the birth of Christ As such, to encourage people to disenchant paganism, it was thought that it would be best to try and merge the pagan holiday with Christmas. Lastly, the Armenians do not celebrate Christmas on December 25th because we adhere to the Julian calendar, which accounts for a solar year having 365.25 days (because we account for the 7 min each day that it takes the sun to reach Earth..) Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6th for this reason (plus, Christ has to be born first then be baptized) As a whole, this is the reason why pagan holidays such as the sun solstice were merged with the birth of our Christ. I enjoyed this particular video & now all of your videos since I discovered you on your Armenian travels! All my best! Անի

[@supplanterjim]

Ah, the advantages of knowing all languages...

[@J.E.E]

Many many many, I have to agree👍

[@janisliepins]

I am latvian 37 y old but newer did this in christmas. Is is pagan tradition befor cristianity of latvian tribes..

[@J.E.E]

You should see it when you can, really worth the experience.

[@11a9z2b8v]

before you call it weird just get some info about eastern christmas traditions, as you can see it is no all about freaking presents, buy buy buy

[@J.E.E]

I agree about the buy buy buy... But to a non Norther person who IS educating himself constantly, hence the video itself, it was weird... Not negatively just factually

[@arisplugis5197]

he he he :) Justin found himself in a Pagan Solstice celebration. no worries! it is always a first time. these are pre-Christian traditions. in this part of the world Pagans never died.

[@J.E.E]

It was an amazing experience. Thank you so much for watching👍🙏

[@arisplugis5197]

@@J.E.E thank you for your videos of exploration! you are one curious soul, aren't you?

[@dzintrarowe4272]

Latvians were one of the last to accept Christianity. The costumes are part of celebrating Winter Solstice which is why Rome made Christs birthday at same time as winter solstice. People wouldn't give up their winter celebrating.

[@J.E.E]

Thank you very much for your input, i really appreciate it!! 👍😃

[@xfoolsgoldx]

Mulled wine in uk is awful 😖 🤣

[@J.E.E]

I must agree with you, come over to Riga, you will love it👍

[@walbrzych9975]

Pagans

[@vodking443]

The base for the main christian celebratioms were pagan traditions. So, in Latvia they applied that way.

[@J.E.E]

Very true👍

[@borashedkhalifa5793]

alsalam alekom akoyaa keep it up justin 😎

[@J.E.E]

Shukran Akhoya... Happy you enjoyed it👍🙏