Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Prieci 'gus Ziemsve 'tkus un Laimi 'gu Jauno Gadul"
Location: Eastern Europe Baltic
Tree Type: Traditional

Decorations:
- The straw ornaments are made out of material found in the fields. There are also several cross shapes made from the tops of wheat. The straw ornaments are made into geometric shapes from simple to more complex designs.
- The garlands are made from cranberry, apples and pinecones.
- The tree was originally decorated with lit candles though today electrified candles are used.

Traditions:
Eating good food, singing holiday songs, and relaxing with friends and family are the preferred activities during Christmastime in Latvia. Christmas is celebrated for three days, from the eve of the 24th to the 27th. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Latvians practice many of the traditions that came from the celebrations of the winter solstice.

One of these traditions is the dragging of the Yule Log. Groups ranging from one small family to an entire neighborhood or community gather together to drag a log from house to house. Once the log has symbolically gathered all of the past year's problems and misfortunes, it is burned while people sing songs and play games. Another tradition left over from the solstice celebrations is called mumming. Mumming involves a procession of masked revelers. People dress up as animals, occupations, or death/dead people and use rattles to make noise as they march from home to home. At each dwelling, they bless the house, encourage fertility for humans and animals, and frighten away evil spirits.

Christmas itself is welcomed to Latvia with a lavish Christmas Eve feast. Pig's head boiled with mashed barley (called in different regions kikas, koka, or kukis), is generally the main course. Beans, peas, lentils, and gingerbread make the meals complete. Traditional Latvian decorations include straw ornaments, colored rags, junipers, candles, and evergreen branches. These often stay up until New Year so that they can be enjoyed by all of the friends and family who visit to offer their good wishes.