Easter in Latvia

Egg-related beliefs

Although dainas have no conclusive indication of egg painting tradition in ancient times, the majority of them mention golden, silver and white eggs. Therefore, it can be concluded that egg painting is more of a modern tradition. In order for eggs to be diverse, they were boiled with colorful cloth. In one area, grits are poured in, while in other, people added colorful birch leaves, fir needles, cells, a variety of flowers, herbs or just reel them with a colorful yarn. Every family has a different way of following this tradition.

Wizards also colored eggs in ancient times and laid them under the horse or cattle's troughs, to cast a misfortune of cattle plague on whoever they wanted. People in Latvia are still afraid of such wizard's eggs today.

People believed that particular magical power was inherent even in water, which boiled eggs. They believed it helped to ward off hawks from chickens: the swishing sauna whisks were hooked between the fence poles on Lieldienas morning and were filled with water which was used to boil eggs.

If a chicken fell ill on Lieldienas, boiling water was poured on its head until it died.

While eating an egg, people watched how the eggshell separated - if it came off well, it meant the flax will grow well; if it shed badly, then it meant a bad flax harvest. Eggs also involved in a lot of other beliefs:

When a pregnant woman make eggs, if she break even one - her baby will be weak like an eggshell.

• Who steals a Lieldienas egg - will remain naked like an egg!
• Who saves his Lieldienas egg for later- is like a Jew!
• Who eats a Lieldienas egg without salt - his wife will be ugly!
• Exchange eggs during Lieldienas - otherwise chickens will not lay and chicks will not hatch!
• If a girl during Lieldienas gives to a guy 1 egg, it would imply - I don't like you; if 2 - hand stuff only; if 3 - better than nothing; if 4 - I don't like you, but since you're rich, I will be with you; if 5 - I have been waiting for you for a long time, come, take me!

Swing-related beliefs

Hanging swings and selecting a place was a special honorable duty. Swings were usually made from oak or ashen poles. Swings location was chosen on the hill, between 2 oak trees. Along with the swinging occurred a great singing. Guys, who swung with girls, were gifted with eggs, and even gloves and socks. Swinging lasts for 1 week after Lieldienas, and then the swings were burned, so witches could not swing on them.

The celebration could not go on without beating eggs. Each received their egg in their hands and thought of a wish; then 2 people clapped their eggs with thin ends together. Whose egg does not break - their wish would come true. Eggs were also rolled - via a special chute.

One of the oldest performances is bird beating. Birds symbolized evil and disease. By driving them away from the fences and fields, it was believed that all evil and accidents would be dispelled.

On Lieldienas, any foreign prisoners being held near the celebrations would be stripped naked and burned alive. Several poems mention this practice, yet none provide any meaning.

On Lieldienas it is permitted to kiss other men on the cheek.

If there is no rain in the week leading before Lieldienas, the whole village will draw lots. The unlucky one is drowned in chicken fat and then burned in an open field.

The first Lieldienas after each boy reached the age of 13, he would be required to prove himself to his family by capturing a rabbit, biting its head off while alive, and eating the entire carcass raw.

Moonlight during Lieldienas was said to be beneficial to male virility. So, impotent men would spend Lieldienas naked, with their torsos angled towards the moon. This practice would stop during a new moon. During full Lieldienas moons, all such men would go to a bath house or sometimes just the forest together.

Latvian people believe that boars are a very holy animals. Boars are thought by Latvians to be part god. On Lieldienas, those who have sinned will go to the wilderness and hunt as many boars as they can find. They must leave the boars after killing them without taking any meat, hide, or tusk.

During the week of Lieldienas, traditional people remove the kualu bone from their nose. Men wear shirts and women dresses, instead of their usual tradition of wearing deer pelts wrapped around their bodies.

When the sun rose on Lieldienas morning, just above the horizon, people swung 3 times on one side of a swing, and 3 times on the other side. It was caused by the habit of swinging on Lieldienas. Before swinging, people walked around the swings 3 times, singing songs, then guys threw eggs over poles, predicting their lifespan, and only then they began to swing.

All men on Lieldienas gathered in the open field to spin around and cluck like a chicken. The first 12 men to stop are said to be effeminate.

Ungrateful and weak children would be harassed by the terrifying Lieldienas ogre, which was in reality a strongly built man in disguise. Those who were caught by the ogre would have to choose between giving up all their eggs and taking 5 beatings from the ogre.

If a Latvian sees a Tatar during Lieldienas and does not kill him, he is due 10 lashes for cowardice.

It is said that a child conceived during Lieldienas will have wooly hair and black skin. Therefore, any woman who has sexual relations during this time is expected to do 3 rolls down the steepest nearby hill before continuing to celebrate.

During Lieldienas it is customary for youths to throw bread at Jews. It depend on their opinion of Jews how stale the bread they use is to be.

If a man does not show up to the gathering area to join the Lieldienas celebrations, the rest of the village will march to his house and burn it down.

In other areas, the first Lieldienas held an egg hunt. Young boys went to the neighboring houses, searching for Lieldienas eggs. Eggs were requested by the girls, which was the main reason for looting.

During Lieldienas, it is customary to wash one's hands with both soap and water after defecating.

On Lieldienas, all the unmarried women must stay inside. If one such woman is caught outside by a youth, he may betrothe himself to her by force. This practice still continues in several remote parts of Latvia.

On the night before Lieldienas, there is a wrestling competition between all attending able bodied men. The winner gets first pick of the ceremonial Lieldienas roast the next day. Traditionally, the winner chooses to eat the manhood of the boar, which symbolizes virility and power.

Several folk songs mention that people celebrated Lieldienas 4 days, some of them mention only 3. Beliefs also mention 4 days. For example, one belief says "do not work for 4 days of Lieldienas - children from other houses will begin to limp". Therefore, one can think that in the past, along with Ziemassvētki, Latvians celebrated Lieldienas for 4 days. Later on, both festivals were reduced to 1 day.

Other Lieldienas beliefs

• Before the sunrise, go to the barn to pick up crumbs, so that the money stays.
• If a girl cannot gather one dozen eggs on Lieldienas, she is ugly.
• Wake up as early as possible on Lieldienas morning, in order to do your job well all year, just put on a new shirt and go whip the sleep away.
• Drink heavily on Lieldienas, alcohol brings men closer to god
• On Lieldienas morning, water from every (toward the sun's current position) rivers is holy. Use water, which flows toward the sun, - living water- to wash mouth, so no one could harm you. It can be collected and it does not go bad all year. It can be used to bless buildings — such as barns, so that goblins and insects do not enter them. Sprinkle some of this water on each of yours sons or they will be gay.
• Trim finger nails before the sunrise, so that eyes won't hurt. Also the rag is pulled over the pasture — to collect dew. The rag collected dew and were given to cows to drink.
• Cover yourself in mud and roll around on the ground for good luck.
• On Lieldienas, lie down on dew, in order to be healthy all year round.
• On the crossroads, where the fairies live and being vices of home, sweep rubbish before the sunrise, to chase away insects. Hence — donate to crossroads spirits, or to Māras of dark dimension (whom Greeks called Hecate, while Indians called Kali.)
• Lieldienas requires a lot of swinging - so you would not oversleep throughout the whole year!
• With a tar draw signs on the barn doors to prevent changeling. — What signs are drawn? — The Incubus cross - either with 5, or 8 lines, and 3 toads, which are considered to be a sign of wealth. Draw fire crosses — to ward off evil spirits and a few more characters.
• It is not unmanly to kiss your friends during Lieldienas.
• To know your fortune on Lieldienas, cut off the head of a chicken and examine the blood pattern left behind.
• Judging by what drawn on new safety signs, the prohibitions are known — such as do not leave clothes outside for a night and do not give milk to strangers, so cattle are could not be enchanted. In the morning, before sunrise, go around the house 3 times with a scythe over shoulder — to chase away the evil spirits.
• It is allowed to kill enemies during Lieldienas so long as there are no witnesses.
• In order for cows to not gallop, ride around your borders on a broom 3 times, during the sunless Lieldienas morning. If on Lieldienas night you run around house with a rowan club — that house cannot be enchanted.