Christmas in Latvia: Preparations

Latvians anticipate Christmas with Advent wreaths and Advent calendars. They also prepare for the coming of the Christmas holiday by baking, cleaning, and decorating. Many people construct three-dimensional ornaments out of bent straws, which are used to dress up rooms. Decorations are also made from greenery, colored cloth, and other natural substances. Christmas trees constitute another important decoration, whose use in Latvia can be traced back several hundred years.