The Republic of Latvia was founded in November 18, 1918 after the end of WWI and was abruptly followed by a War of Independence which involved an amazing (and somewhat confusing) number of different nations.

Patty had the girls get dressed up and did their hair for them, incorporating some Latvian colors and designs:

Then we were invited over to a neighbor’s house for an abosolutely delicious dinner:

One of the other interesting ways that they celebrate Independence Day here is through something called Staro Rīga. It is essentially a three-night outdoor show in Rīga where they have all of these intricate light shows all over Rīga.

One our favorite stops  was the Brīvības Piemineklis (Freedom Monument). You can get a glimpse of what is was like from another spectator’s video here:

We had a wonderful weekend and are excited about celebrating Latvia’s 100th Anniversary this coming year!