This time, we explore two brief memory pieces about Christmas celebrations in the late 19th century. Professor Edvards Kalniņš, born in 1869 in Bīriņi Parish, recalls his childhood Christmases. Today, his birthplace, Ķikas farm, is in Vidriži Parish. The second story comes from Teodors Grīnvalds, born in 1889 in Kuldīga, who later became the Prefect of Riga.
"My most beautiful Christmas memories are, of course, from childhood. I vividly remember, at the age of seven, following the older boys into the forest to gather fir branches. At that time, we didn’t light Christmas trees, as we had no decorations or candles to place on them. In the evenings, we lit pine splinters in the room because kerosene was too expensive.
By the light of these splinters, we cut out perforated paper ornaments to adorn the fir branches. On Christmas morning, some hot bricks were placed on the fir needles to intensify their fragrance.
As dawn broke, everyone prepared for church. Our house was by the roadside. Sleighs traveled in large lines with bells attached to the yoke. My father, a devout man, held morning devotions every Sunday, which left a deep impression on my heart.
We had a new sleigh stored in a separate shed. On holidays, we were allowed to bring it to the stable, where the boys would hitch up the best horse.
Everyone saved their finest clothes for Christmas, and for the church outing, they put on creaky leather boots. People typically didn’t visit neighbors on the first day of Christmas. We children eagerly awaited when our mother would buy the “Old Vidzeme Almanac” for the holidays, which we then read with great enjoyment.
On Christmas morning, before breakfast, one candle was lit, a white tablecloth was spread, and better dishes were laid out. That single candle, I believe, shone brighter than a thousand electric bulbs.
On the second day of Christmas, we usually played an old game called “The Cobbler”*, in which the whole household participated with great enthusiasm.
Nowadays, our Christmas celebrations are more splendid and noisier, but they lack the inner solemnity and religious dignity. Even our youth seems weary, as though they’ve experienced everything, and these “young elders” can no longer truly immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas."
(Professor Dr. med. E. Kalniņš, Professor at the University of Latvia)
"The most beautiful memory I hold is of Christmas in Kurzeme when I was still a boy. Our house was near the Venta River. Winters were usually harsh, with plenty of snow. We boys eagerly awaited the freezing of the Venta. Then began joyful skating on the ice and sleigh rides. The most beautiful tradition, however, was burning the Christmas tree on the Venta’s ice. At dusk, candles were lit on the tree, and their colors reflected like a thousand rainbows on the frozen river.
We played merry games, launched rockets, and fired handmade guns filled with matchstick heads (Kuldīga had a matchstick factory, and we could “acquire” some matches from there through friends). Naturally, our parents joined in these festivities. If we also managed to bring home a good school report for the holidays, our joy knew no bounds.
Another vivid memory is from Christmas in 1918, after Latvia’s proclamation of independence. At that time, we were organizing Latvia’s police force. While other citizens of Riga celebrated Christmas peacefully, we had to remain vigilant. Yet, even in this duty, knowing we were doing something good for Latvia, the holiday spirit enveloped us."
(T. Grīnvalds, Prefect of Riga)
*Cobbler - A game in which a dialogue takes place between the participants and a central figure, after which the central figure drops a stick, and everyone switches places. (tezaurs.lv)
Both memoirs were published in the article “The Most Beautiful Christmas of My Life” in the December 31, 1930, edition of “Stories and Novels.” You can read the full article in Latvian here.
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