🔥Cemetery Celebration in Latvia. Meeting of Relatives in Gulbene 2022. Part 2.
Channel: Lidija SKOLNIJA 🔥Sparklet!
Date: 14/08/2022

🇱🇻Have you watched my previous film about the celebration at the cemetery in Latvia? In this video, I will show you the continuation of the cemetery celebration in the family circle and tell you where this tradition came from. Hi, friends! 🔥Sparklet! here.

Today we are going to the old cemetery in the town of Gulbene, and then to lunch with relatives in Stameriene.

Let me remind that Kapusvētki is a special holiday tradition when people gather at all Latvian cemeteries with their loved ones and remember their deceased family members. The tradition of visiting the graves and commemorating the dead is included in the cultural canon of Latvia - a collection of the most outstanding cultural values ​​of our country.

There, its essence is formulated as follows: “Cemetery events include a divine service led by a shepherd or a secular ceremony with music, poetry, speeches and festivities that take place either in the family circle right there in the cemetery, if the family members no longer live nearby, or in the houses of a nearby family.”

Today we are going to the old cemetery in the town of Gulbene, and then to lunch with relatives in Stameriena.

In each culture, the commemoration of the dead was treated with special respect, and our ancestors tried to bury their loved ones in the territory of Latvia, observing all the customs established within the framework of religion. Even in ancient times, the cemetery served Latvians as a place of worship, where not only the dead were buried, but also a place where many important rituals were held.

The tradition of commemoration of the dead has pagan roots, when people gather for a special ritual to talk with the deceased and call them to this sun. Previously, this pagan ritual was widespread not only in Latvia, but also in Poland and Russia.

Since ancient times, the cult of the dead and the earth has been especially important in Latvian culture, because it is important for Latvians not only to improve their household plot and cultivate fields, but also to take care of the burial places of their loved ones, who have died. Landscape design architects recognize that Latvian cemeteries can be considered unique parks, because our people take care of them the same way they take care of gardens.

The difference between Latvian cemeteries is that over time, Latvians began to create patterns with a rake at the burial site. This is due to the ancient tradition of sweeping the burial ground with spruce branches so that a person who has gone to another sun does not find the way back. Currently, many people, without realizing it, perform a similar ritual with a rake, completing the care of the grave with such decor.

The tradition of cemetery celebrations has long been established in the culture of our country and reflects the belonging of all people to one community. In the summer, from the end of June to the beginning of September, celebrations are held in all Latvian cemeteries, where relatives, friends and neighbors of the deceased gather.

It is often said that this celebration helps to realize that life does not end with death. It is a way to remember departed loved ones and meet long-lost relatives, even bring the whole family together.

Every life ends in death. Regardless of whether a person is buried after death in a family cemetery or the ashes are scattered, behind each of us is the history of the family, as well as the whole nation. The way we treat history, our families and the graves of our ancestors shows whether we respect our origins and roots.

It is important to be aware of your temporality, come from time to time to cemeteries, where you can meditate with the dead, or gather in cemeteries with the whole family, honor the memory of the dead, and discuss various issues. However, the celebration at the cemetery is, of course, not the only reason why close and distant relatives get together once a year.

If relatives do not meet for a long time, do not keep in touch, then the holiday at the cemetery comes as an indisputable reason for everyone to gather again.

A holiday at a cemetery and a commemoration is always a story about emotions. This is a reason to think about your parents, grandparents, what was good in them and what was not, what we forgave or did not forgive them.

✅ Like and subscribe to my channel. After watching my video, think about your ancestors and find time to visit them at the cemetery. Your 🔥Sparklet! 🥰
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