We lived in Latvia for several years and experienced their traditions, deeply rooted in folklore. Nature, herbs and holistic thinking are the cornerstones.
One of my most beautiful memories is from a midsummer celebration in Latvia that we celebrated at the summer solstice. Flowers, food, a midsummer pole and the sauna. The Latvian sauna tradition (which in Latvian is called "pirts") is gentler and more ritualized than ours. With a strong spiritual streak. The experience was so strong that Örtfabriken, together with herbalist Ilga Gavare, has organized several sauna ceremonies in Sweden. Here you can see a lovely picture from the most recent occasion:
Photo: Sofie Selling
Pirts are led by a sauna host, called Pirts Meistars . To become Pirts Meistars, you go through several years of training. Pirts Meistars lead the sauna guest through the different steps in pirts. Through physical and spiritual purification. Here is a picture of Ilga demonstrating what she does when she is a Pirts Meistars. An important tool is ruskos made of different types of wood with which she circulates the element air. Read our post about how to make your own ruskos.
The host has decorated the sauna with herbs. You lie on a bed of ferns, birch, and marigolds. The host has brooms made of birch and other trees that are used to circulate the heat over your body. You drink herbal teas and eat berries before the sauna. You are given natural products to scrub yourself with. An ice-cold dip is automatically included. And after the ritual, you are wrapped in thick blankets and allowed to lie like in a cocoon and recover.
Here we have just gone from heat to cold on the dock outside the sauna.
In Latvia, there are sauna rituals for all stages of life. The most beautiful is the ritual for new mothers and their babies. A welcoming ceremony to life, but also a cleansing and an opportunity for the mother to recover and be cared for.
My own sauna experiences in Latvia are eye-openers to memories. Great and strong experiences that are difficult to convey in text and in a short space. But at every step, the herbs and plants had a natural place. Health, well-being with a strong spiritual connection.
If you would like to visit Ilga in Latvia and experience her beautiful ceremonies, you can contact her here: ilga2004@inbox.lv
