"Nearly 800 years of foreign occupation haven’t given Latvians much cause to celebrate, hence an acute lack of days off for the working man. Pagan Midsummer celebrations are the nation’s most popular holidays when locals head out to the countryside for bonfires, beer and assorted fertility rites."
Not my words, but a quote from a tourist booklet - I think it was the "Riga in My Pocket Guide".
So, fellow artists, if you get a little tired of painting those forests and meadows en plein air, head off into the woods with your honey and search for the flowering fern. It's a time-honoured tradition.
Ask any Latvian :)
And no, my dearly beloved is not standing under an oak tree. He's wearing a "Vainags", hand made with a good deal of help from a pro! Men, women, babies, cars, they can all safely sport a bonnet of bloom on this special day.
