#Latvia Independence Day 2023

[goggledoddle]

#Latvia Independence Day 2023 #Today #GIF #AnimatedGIF #Animated GIF #Animation #GoogleDoodle #Google Doodle #google #doodle #GoggleDoddle #Photo

[itsyveinthesky]

Edit: There is now an official English translation of the whole article by Meduza themselves: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2023/06/03/the-only-thing-worse-than-war-is-losing-one

Meduza is a Russian- and English-language independent news website, headquartered in Riga, Latvia. It was founded in 2014 by a group of former employees of the then-independent Lenta.ru news website.

It asked the readers that supported the war to explalin why.

Sadly the answers paint a very bleak pictures of even young Russians reading independent media.

Some translated statements (feel free to correct if translated wrongly)

Andrey

35 years old, Volgograd

War ends when one side wins. Russia's defeat would mean national humiliation, which cannot be allowed. Consequently, one must win - there is no choice anymore.

Alexei

24 years old, Yakutsk

I do not support the war, but I do not want Russia to lose either.

Pavel

30 years old, Germany

I am angry at both sides of the conflict.

Anonymous reader

38 years old, city not specified

The only thing worse than a war is a lost war. It was an insane mistake to start it, but now it must be won, or else we will have the woe of the defeated. I don't support Putin, damn him.

Anonymous reader

36 years old, Tyumen

I'm not going to pay reparations for the mistakes of others for the next 20 years. No one talks to the losing side.

Nikolai

27 years old, Austria

I think the Western point of view is not quite right and agree with Putin's terminology of a unipolar world with double standards.

Artem

40 years old, Berlin

I have lived in Germany for 20 years and have never seen such propaganda. Western politicians and media have taken an absolutely one-sided position: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is a heroic state, Putin is always wrong, everyone looks into Zelensky's mouth.

Ruslan

28 years old, Kazan

I neither support nor condemn Russia for the war. I believe that since Russia started the war, it showed the weakness of its diplomacy and its inability to negotiate with a neighbouring state. However, I also do not support the point of view of those who compare Russia almost to Nazi Germany.

First of all, Ukraine had a choice; it could have reached an agreement with us in the early days of the war before things went too far and met our demands. It would have lost territories, but would have kept itself as a state. Is land more important than human lives? Therefore, Ukraine also bears some of the blame for the lives of those people who died. I am sure that people living in the territories that would have been handed over to Russia would certainly not have made their lives worse. Perhaps somewhere even better.

Sergey

27 years old, Perm

I support the actions of my president and my country. Yes, initially I didn't quite understand the point of this whole "operation", but after a while I saw the Russophobic statements both from Ukraine and from the European Union and the United States. Anyone with critical thinking and at least some common sense understands: Russia is not a "terrorist state", we are only defending our interests and sovereignty. That is why I, like most Russian citizens, fully support the UAS, and if I have to go to war, then I will go.

My personal favourite

Anonymous reader

30 years old, Astana

In a year and a half, [my] authority figures and moral compasses have turned into traitors (who wish harm to the citizens of their country, call for sanctions and do not try to lift them), shameful people (who offer to surrender to mercy and blame themselves), infirmities and liars.

I still believe that Russia got into this war for nothing, very much for nothing. But the way out offered by those [politicians] I [used to] hope for is shameful, painful, humiliating and deceitful. It is better to wait for those who will replace Putin: Russia is full of smart people.

Repenting for three [next] lives, giving up nuclear weapons and paying reparations - thanks, no thanks. I hope that the war will end as soon as possible and that as few people as possible will die in it, both Russian citizens in the first place and citizens of Ukraine, and if I have to go to war, then I will.

#russia #ukraine #journalism #then again #The Russians had access to all the information in the world when they attacked Georgia in 2008 or when they attacked Ukraine in 2014 #war in ukraine #yeah ok wasn't smart to start the war but suffering through the consequences?no thanks

[brookston]

Holidays 12.30

Holidays

Cleaning Day (Haiti)

Falling Needles Family Fest Day

Feast of the Holy Family

Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

Flail Day French Republic)

Freedom Day (Scientology)

Incwala Day (Eswatini, f.k.a. Swaziland)

International Day of Indian Cinema

Kodachrome Day

Let's Make A Deal Day

Lhosar (Gurung People, Nepal)

National Cheryl Day

National Resolution Planning Day

New Year’s Eve Eve

Rizal Day (Philippines)

Smart Highway Day

Take a Walk Show

Tamu Lochar (Sikkim, India)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bacon Day [also 8.31]

Baking Soda Day

Coffee Day (Hawaii)

Drink With a Straw Day

International Day of the Donut

Kona Coffee Day

National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

5th & Last Saturday in December

Evergreen Tree Day [Last Saturday]

Last Saturday of the Year [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Day of the Declaration of Slovakia as an Independent Ecclesiastic Province

Midget Nation-in-Exile (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Northern Federation of Occidental Republics (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

USSR (Established, 1922)

Xenlandia (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abraham the Writer (Christian; Saint)

Anysia of Salonika (Christian; Saint)

Boxing the Jesuit Day (Church of the SubGenius)

The Clam (Muppetism)

Ecgwine of Worcester (Christian; Saint)

Egwin of Evesham (Christian; Saint)

Felix I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Frances Joseph-Gaudet (Episcopal Church)

Gall (Positivist; Saint)

Get Drunk Early for Hogmanay Day (Pastafarian)

Kwanzaa, Day 5: Nia (Purpose)

Liberius of Ravenna (Christian; Saint)

Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée (Artology)

Maximus (Christian; Saint)

Obatala’s Day (Pagan)

Ralph of Vaucelles (Christian; Saint)

Roger (a.k.a. Ruggero) of Cannae (Christian; Saint)

Sabinus, Bishop of Assisi, and his companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Sixth Day of Christmas (a.k.a. Bringing in the Boar)

Twelve Holy Days #5 (Leo, the heart; Esoteric Christianity)

Twelvetide, Day #6 (a.k.a. the Twelve Days of Christmas or Christmastide) [until 1.5]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Premieres

Alice, Darling (Film; 2022)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force (TV Cartoon Series; 2000)

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Film; 1925)

Born to Die, by Lana Del Rey (Song; 2011)

The Curious Puppy (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Dallas (Film; 1950)

The Gallopin’ Gaucho (Disney Cartoon; 1928)

Kiss Me, Kate (Broadway Musical; 1948)

Let’s Make a Deal (TV game Show; 1963)

A Man Called Otto (Film; 2022)

The Merry Widow, by Franz Lehár (Operetta; 1905)

My Way, recorded by Frank Sinatra (Song; 1968)

Nelly’s Folly (WB MM Cartoon; 1961)

No Man of Her Own (Film; 1932)

Rob Roy, by Walter Scott (Novel; 1817)

The Roy Rogers Show (TV Series; 1951)

Some Came Running, by James Jones (Novel; 1957)

Sounder, by William H. Armstrong (Novel; 1969)

Tainted Dreams (TV Soap Opera; 2013)

Tangled Up In Blue, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1974)

Tin Yop (Pixar Cartoon; 1988)

Two’s a Crowd (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

Why Him? (Film; 2016)

Today’s Name Days

Felix, Lothar (Austria)

Feliks, Rajner, Srećko (Croatia)

David (Czech Republic)

David (Denmark)

Taave, Taavet, Taavi, Taavo, Tavo (Estonia)

Daavid, Taavetti, Taavi (Finland)

Roger (France)

Herma, Hermine, Minna (Germany)

Anisios, Filetairos, Gideon, Josef (Greece)

Dávid (Hungary)

Eugenio (Italy)

Dāvids, Dāvis (Latvia)

Dovydas, Gedrimė, Gražvilas, Irmina, Sabinas (Lithuania)

David, Diana, Dina (Norway)

Dawid, Dawida, Dionizy, Eugeniusz, Irmina, Katarzyna, Łazarz, Rainer, Sabin, Sewer, Uniedrog (Poland)

Anisia (Romania)

Dávid (Slovakia)

Judit, Judith, Raúl (Spain)

Abel, Set (Sweden)

Ainsley, Kelsa, Kelsey, Kelsi, Kelsie, Mason (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 364 of 2024; 1 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 52 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Beth (Birch) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 18 (Ren-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 18 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 17 Jumada II 1445

J Cal: 4 Fest; Foursday [4 of 5]

Julian: 17 December 2023

Moon: 87%: Warning Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Bichat (13th Month) [Gall]

Runic Half Month: Eihwaz or Eoh (Yew Tree) [Day 5 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 10 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 9 of 31)

#calendar #Holidays

[snowgall]

In an extraordinary session on Sunday evening, the Saeima decided to declare Monday, May 29, 2023, the Day of the Bronze Medal Win in honor of the high achievement of the Latvian men's hockey team.

52 members voted in favor, no one voted against, but three members abstained.

School exams will not be canceled.

The bill's annotation states: "Since the restoration of Latvia's independence, hockey has been one of the most popular and supported sports. The participation of Latvian ice hockey professionals in various sports competitions is always an event in Latvian society. It is therefore our duty to strengthen the fact of the important success of Latvian athletes at the 2023 World Hockey Championships in the social memory of society."

"Celebrating the success of the Latvian hockey team could help everyone to strive for excellence in their work, in their skills. The joint celebration of this day would strengthen the national self-confidence and unity of Latvian society,” said the amendment to the adopted draft law.

One of the reasons why it is decided to announce a holiday was indicated as the need to allow residents of the regions to welcome the Latvian hockey team in Rīga.

#latvia #world hockey championships #national holiday #hockey #bronze medal #latvian ice hockey #guys it's almost june?

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.7

Holidays

Ballet Day

Beatles Hit America Day

Charles Dickens Day

Colin Kaepernick Appreciation Day

Constitution Day (Mexico)

Daniel Boone Escape Day

”e” Day

Hug an Addict or Alcoholic Day

International Clash Day

International Start a Blog Day

Laura Ingalls Wilder Day

Love Your Robot Day

National Black Grandmothers Day

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

National Foreskin Appreciation Day

National Homegating Day

National Jack Day

National Periodic Table Day

National Run-For-Your-Life Day

National Signing Day

Northern Territories Day (Japan)

No Talk Day

Rose Day

Send a Card to a Friend Day

Star Wars Podcast Day

Violet Day

Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day

The Weekend Day (Canada)

Who Shall I Be Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Fettuccine Alfredo Day

1st Tuesday in February

African-American Coaches Day [1st Tuesday]

Safer Internet Day [1st Tuesday]

Independence Days

Grenada (from UK, 1974)

Feast Days

Alfred E. Neuman Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint) 

Augulus, Bishop of London (Christian; Saint)

Blessed Eugénie Smet (Christian; Saint)

Chrysolius (Christian; Saint)

Colette of Corbie (Christian; Saint)

Day of Selene (Goddess of the Moon; Ancient Greece)

Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph (Christian; Saint)

Everyman’s Day

Feast of Mulk (Baha’i)

Ictinus (Positivist; Saint)

Just Another Day Day (a.k.a. No-Day Day; Pastafarian)

Luigi the Ice Cream Wolf (Muppetism)

Pius IX, Pope (Christian; Blessed)

Richard the Pilgrim (a.k.a. Richard, King of the West Saxons)

Romualdo, founder of the Order of Camaldoli (Christian; Saint)

Theodorus (a.k.a. Stratilates; Christian; Saint)

Tresain of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [9 of 32]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 6 of 60)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [9 of 57]

Premieres

Birds of Prey (Film; 2020)

Blazing Saddles (Film; 1974)

Breathless (Film; 1961)

The Color Purple (Film; 1986)

Elvis and Me (TV Mini-Series; 1981)

Hannah and Her Sisters (Film; 1986)

Lady Jane (Film; 1986)

The Lego Movie (Animated Film; 2014)

Letterkenny (TV Series; 2016)

Locke & Key (TV Series; 2020)

Manufacturing Consent, by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman (Book; 1988)

Mickey’s Birthday Party (Disney Cartoon; 1940)

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman (Stories; 2017)

Orpheus in the Underworld, by Jacques Offenbach (4-Act Opera; 1874)

Pinball Wizard, recorded by The Who (Song; 1969)

Pinocchio (Animated Disney Film; 1940)

Please Please Me, by The Beatles (Song; 1963)

Taxi Driver (Film; 1976)

Troilus and Cressida, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1603)

Today’s Name Days

Ava, Richard (Austria)

Držislav, Julijana, Maksim, Rikard (Croatia)

Veronika (Czech Republic)

Richard (Denmark)

Richard, Riho, Riko, Riku (Estonia)

Rikhard, Riku (Finland)

Eugénie (France)

Ava, Richard, Ronan (Germany)

Parthenios, Parthenis (Greece)

Rómeó, Tódor (Hungary)

Eugenia, Teodoro (Italy)

Daunis, Nelda, Richards, Rihards (Latvia)

Jomantė, Ričardas, Romualdas, Vildaugas (Lithuania)

Riborg, Rigmor, Rikard (Norway)

Romuald, Ryszard, Sulisław (Poland)

Partenie (Romania)

Vanda (Slovakia)

Ricardo (Spain)

Dick, Rikard (Sweden)

Teofil, Teofila (Ukraine)

Beau, Beaumont, Beverly, Bo, Boe, Jace, Jacey, Sinclair (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 38 of 2023; 327 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 6 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Jia-Yin), Day 17 (Bing-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 16 Shevat 5783

Islamic: 16 Rajab II 1444

J Cal: 8 Xin; Oneday [8 of 30]

Julian: 25 January 2023

Moon: 96%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 10 Homer (2nd Month) [Ictinus)

Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 49 of 90)

Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 18 of 30)

#Holidays

[laresearchette]

Friday, December 29, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: ALL THE BEST ALL THE WORST 2023 (CNN) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? THE ESTABLISHED HOME (TBD - Magnolia Canada) IN WITH THE OLD (TBD - Magnolia Canada) RESTORING GALVESTION: THE INN (TBD - Magnolia Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA AFTER EVERYTHING

CRAVE TV CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME GRAN TURISMO HARD CORE LOGO 2 JUST BURIED MR. NOBODY SERIOUSLY RED SISU SOMEBODY’S HIDING SOMETHING (Season 1B) STARBUCK TACOMA FD (Season 4) WINDOW HORSES THE YEAR DOLLY PARTON WAS MY MOM

NETFLIX CANADA BERLIN

2024 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (TSN/TSN3) 6:00am: Norway vs. Slovakia (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 8:30am: Latvia vs. Finland (TSN/TSN3/TSN4) 1:30pm: Canada vs. Sweden (TSN/TSN3) 4:30pm: Czechia vs. United States

NHL HOCKEY (SNOntario) 7:00pm: Leafs vs. Blue Jackets (TSN5) 7:00pm: Devils vs. Sens (SNEast/SNWest/SNPacific) 8:00pm: Chicago vs. Stars

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 7:30pm: Bucks vs. Caveliers (TSN3/TSN4) 7:30pm: Raptors vs. Celtics (SN1) 10:30pm: Grizzlies vs. Clippers

BEST IN MINIATURE (CBC) 8:00pm/9:00pm (SEASON FINALE): In a bid to make the finals, the top four miniaturists make a housewarming gift for their fellow competitors; the devil is in the details as they build either a kid's room or a hobby room. In Episode Two, in the finale, the top three artists finish the story of their homes with an outside living space complete with transportation.

SISU (Crave) 9:00pm: During the last days of World War II, a solitary prospector crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-Earth retreat in northern Finland. When the soldiers decide to steal his gold, they quickly discover they just tangled with no ordinary miner.

ARCHER: INTO THE COLD (adult swim) 11:30pm (SEASON PREMIERE): With the UN voting to outlaw independent spy agencies, Archer and the gang have to work outside the law to save the world from an unlikely duo.

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #canadian tv listings #best in miniature #iihf world juniors #nhl hockey #nba basketball

[bharathidasanprabhu]

LATVIA INDEPENDENCE DAY - 18 NOVEMBER 2023 - லாட்வியா சுதந்திர தினம் - 18 நவம்பர் 2023.

[thateurosite]

🇱🇻 Sudden Lights release a live performance of their cover of "Mūsu Mīlestība"

🇱🇻 #Latvia's #Eurovision 2023 representatives @SuddenLightsLV has released a combined music video and live performance version of their cover of "Mūsu Mīlestība".

On 11th of November, Latvia celebrated Lāčplēša day, a day to celebrate the latvian troops fighting for the country’s independence. The band has released a combined music video and live performance version of their cover of “Mūsu Mīlestība”. “As long as the sun will shine above the Riga towers, Our love will never end” As mentioned some time ago, Sudden Lights released a cover of a legendary…

View On WordPress

#esc #esc 2023 #eurovision #eurovision 2023 #eurovision song contest #eurovision song contest 2023 #Latvia #sudden lights #Sudden Lights Mūsu Mīlestība

[opedguy]

Estonia Should Put-Up-or-Shut-Up

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Oct. 21, 2022.--Estonia’s 47-year-old Foreign Minister Umas Reinsalu had some choice words for 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader to “go to hell.”  Reinsalu makes the situation for Estonia more tense, knowing that his country shares a 183 mile border with Russia and must, like other former Soviet satellites, find ways to get along.  Now part of the European Union and NATO, Reinsalu can talk tough knowing that Putin wouldn’t dare attack a NATO country knowing the consequences of Article 5, where an attack on one member is an attack on all.  At the same time, Estonia was part of the Soviet Union from 1921 to 1991, the date Soviet Union disbanded, offering independence to several former satellites.  Reinsalu was questioned by DW News reporter Nina Hasse-Toonbridge.  “Would you like to see Vladimir Putin go to jail,” Hasse-Toonbridge asked.  “To hell,” Reinsalu responded bluntly,

Reinsalu needs some more diplomatic training, knowing that such publicly hostile rhetoric could have security consequences for his country.  Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, has become a major tourist destination for EU and world tourists, featuring a medieval Unesco old town, now serving as Estonia’s capital.  While there’s nothing wrong with Estonia celebrating its independence, there’s something provocative, actually distasteful, listening to the foreign minister tell a head-of-state, no less of the Russian Federation to “go to hell.”  Estonia’s 45-year-old Prime Minister Kaja Kallas needs to reign in her foreign minister for his incendiary remarks. Estonia doesn’t need a hostile Russian Federation threatening its borders or independence.  All the Baltic States, including Latvia and Lithuania, value their independence, wanting no wider part of the Ukraine conflict.  Reinsalu let his personal feelings get the best of him.

If Reinsalu really feels that the EU and NATO haven’t done enough to defend Ukraine, Estonia could commit its own troops to battle the Russian occupation. Reinsalu talks like he’s ready to commit troops to Ukraine, where Ukraine’s 44-year-old President Volodymr Zelensky has been asking for U.S. and NATO troops since Day  1.  If Reinsalu thinks Estonia, or NATO, have not committed enough military resources to Ukraine, his government could commit troops to help Ukraine beat back Russian occupation.  Reinsalu says the Trans-Atlantic Alliance has not done enough to defend Ukraine. “Price is paid by the blood of Ukrainians,” Reinsalu said.  Reinsalu could confer with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and decide that they’d like to commit more military resources and troops to defend Ukraine.  Reinsalu is aware of the U.S., f acing a pivotal Midterm election,that could affect Ukraine.

Former President Donald Trump has been critical of Biden’s proxy war against the Russian Federation, influencing a vocal group of GOP House members and Senators to bring the eight-month war to an end. No one knows the extent of Ukraine’s infrastructure destruction from eight months of war.  Kiev doesn’t give an accurate body count of how many Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the last eight months.  Biden keeps funding Zelensky, now over $60 billion, to fight his proxy war using Ukrainian troops to battle the Russian Federation.  If Congress changes hands, Reinsalu could find the U.S. Congress changing its priorities in Ukraine. Faced with a possible recession in 2023, enough Americans are fed up with the U.S. government funding costly foreign wars.  Despite all of Reinsalu’s hostile rhetoric, it’s doubtful Estonia would commit actual troops in Ukraine.

Estonia has donated about $215 million to Ukraine’s war effort, roughly 0.8% of Estonia’s Gross Domestic Product [GDP].  Estonia banned Russia from travel to the once once a popular destinations for Russian tourists.  Estonia’s parliament, voted almost unanimously Oct. 19 to brand Russia a “terrorist regime,” something the U.S. has been unwilling to do because of the already dismal Russian relations.  Estonia’s parliament makes clear that they consider Russia a hostile foreign power, despite the longstanding cultural ties to the Russian state.  All the openly aggressive rhetoric from Talin doesn’t help Ukraine one bit, as they continue to battle the Russian Federation.  Zelensky wants no part of peace talks because he’s afraid he’d have to cede territory lost to Russia in the last eight months of war.  Zelensky knew when he took on the Russian Federation, there would be consequences to Ukraine.

Biden and Zelensky still think if they can keep the war going, it gives Ukraine the best chance, before any peace talks, of negotiating a better peace deal in some murky future.  But every day that goes by, more carnage and Ukrainian infrastructure is destroyed, making the rebuild effort all the more complicated.  Republican members of Congress have had enough of Biden’s blank check with U.S. taxpayers cash to fund the proxy war against the Russian Federation.  Foreign policy experts want an improvement in U.S.-Russian relations, something that can’t happen until the war ends.  No one in Congress signed up for the U.S. going to war against the Russian Federation. Zelensky won’t admit that without U.S. funding the Kiev government and the war, he would be forced to make concessions.  Well, eventually all wars end and concessions are part of the peace process.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

[atlanticcanada]

Operation REASSURANCE: Canada's NATO mission explained

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced that Canada would deploy an additional 460 Canadian Armed Forces troops to Latvia as part of Operation REASSURANCE to “reinforce” Canada’s commitment to NATO, as tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine reach new heights.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his government would be recognizing the separatist-controlled regions of Eastern Ukraine as independent states. Russia has also moved its troops into these regions.

Here's what you need to know about Canada's troop commitments and NATO contributions.

WHAT IS OPERATION REASSURANCE?

Operation REASSURANCE refers to Canada's NATO commitments in Central and Eastern Europe, maintaining a military presence in the region to help with training and exercises as well as acting as a deterrent against threats.

In the skies, Canada conducts air policing missions with its CF-18 Hornet fighter jets, as well as surveillance and training. At sea, Canadian frigates perform routine patrols in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

The first air, land and maritime task forces were sent to the region as a part of the operation in 2014, in response to the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

In 2016, NATO members agreed to expand their military presence in this region and establish four multinational battlegroups based in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. The battlegroups are each led by the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and Canada, respectively.

HOW MANY TROOPS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED ALREADY?

The Department of Defence says at any time, there can be up to 915 Canadian troops deployed for Operation REASSURANCE.

In 2017, 540 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were deployed to a base near Riga, Latvia to establish the multinational battlegroup. The Latvian deployment is the largest deployment of Canadian troops in Europe and was renewed in 2018 for another four years to March 2023.

The size of the Canadian-led battlegroup is around 1,400 troops and includes soldiers from Spain, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia, Albania and Montenegro.

At sea, approximately 240 soldiers aboard the HMCS Montreal have been operating in the NATO Maritime Command since the ship departed Halifax last January. Prior to that, the HMCS Fredericton was deployed between July and December 2021. Eight different ships over 15 deployments have contributed to the operation.

As part of the operation's Air Task Force, 140 Canadian air personnel along with six CF-18 jets had been deployed for NATO air policing missions in Romania between September and December 2021.

HOW MANY TROOPS WILL CANADA DEPLOY IN THE FUTURE?

For the deployment of 460 troops that was announced on Tuesday, Defence Minister Anita Anand told reporters that an artillery battery of "about 120 people" will be the first to deploy to Latvia. These soldiers will be drawn from bases across Canada and are set to deploy in 30 days for approximately six weeks.

The HMCS Halifax, which has a crew capacity of approximately 250 people, will also be heading to Europe as a part of the operation "towards the last part of March," Anand said.

Finally, Canada is also sending a CP-140 Aurora aircraft, used for anti-submarine maritime patrols and surveillance.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/aBqIxtT

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

[goggledoddle]

Latvia Independence Day 2023 Date: November 18, 2023 Today’s Doodle celebrates Latvia’s Independence Day, locally known as Latvijas Republikas proklamēšanas diena (Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia). On this day in 1918, Latvia declared its independence from German and Russian occupation. People across the country bundle up to stay warm at public events, like parades and concerts. The largest parade in Riga attracts thousands of people, who cheer for military personnel and marching bands as they walk by. A plane flies overhead, spraying two streams of red smoke, which resembles the crimson and white flag waving in today’s Doodle.  Latvians gather at the Freedom Monument throughout the day. Many lay flowers in honor of those who fought for Latvia’s autonomy, and crowds return later to hear federal representatives speak about Latvia’s founding, accomplishments, and future. As night falls, sprawling torchlight processions illuminate the streets as a beautiful memorial to Latvia’s fight for freedom. Happy Independence Day, Latvia! Location: Latvia Tags: @GoggleDoddle is only here on [tumblr]! #GoggleDoddle goggledoddle.[tumblr].com

#Latvia Independence Day 2023 #Today #GIF #AnimatedGIF #Animated GIF #Animation #GoogleDoodle #Google Doodle #google #doodle #GoggleDoddle #Video

[khalilhumam]

In the heat of political crisis, Belarus launches first nuclear power plant

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/in-the-heat-of-political-crisis-belarus-launches-first-nuclear-power-plant/

In the heat of political crisis, Belarus launches first nuclear power plant

Ecologists do not share the government's optimism about Astravets

Astravets nuclear power plant, Belarus, 2020. Photo (c): Hanna Valynets, used with permission.

Since August, Belarus has been rocked by mass protests and strikes. The authorities try not to pay attention, for they are preoccupied with a no less historic development — the construction of a new nuclear power plant. That is controversial in a country which suffered greatly from the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe in neighbouring Ukraine. Concern at the state of democracy dominates Belarusian public life, but alongside it another urgent conversation continues — about the country’s past experience with nuclear power, and whether it needs a post-nuclear future. All eyes are on Astravets, a small town located near the Belarusian border with Lithuania. In recent years the town’s population has grown significantly: workers are badly needed, and new multi-storey apartments have shot up to house them. The reason for these rapid changes is that Belarus’ first nuclear power plant is located outside the town. Its construction is now coming to an end and it is nearly ready to be started up. As engineers often explain, it takes more than pressing one button to launch a nuclear reactor. That start-up will take place in several phases. The fuel has already been loaded; the plant is expected to generate its first electricity on November 7. This is a national holiday in Belarus, as it is the anniversary of the October Revolution — the revolution from which the Soviet Union was born. “I invite everybody. I think that on November 7, a significant day for us, we will be able to visit and say that we have received the first electricity from our own nuclear power plant”, exclaimed Belarus’ longtime ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka at a meeting with officials on September 16. The first of the two reactors is expected to operate at full capacity by the first quarter of 2021. The second reactor will be launched in 2022.

Haunting memories

But not all Belarusians are so jubilant. They remember the explosion in 1986, which released large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Belarus suffered more than anywhere else in the Soviet Union; a third of all the radioactive caesium-137 ended up in Belarusian territory. The authorities in Minsk have tried to assuage fears of a second Chernobyl, declaring that the likelihood of accidents is minimal, and that the Astravets nuclear power plant is a safe and profitable project. “We are the Chernobyl republic, we have experienced a lot and we know the consequences ourselves. Some US$19 billion has been spent on rehabilitating contaminated areas alone. Therefore, safety measures during the construction of the [Astravets] power station were like something out of wartime”, said Lukashenka in August, just before the presidential elections. In the public discussion about nuclear energy, comparisons between Chernobyl and Astravets are not so uncommon. These parallels are drawn by everybody, including journalists, politicians, ordinary citizens, and surviving liquidators from the Chernobyl catastrophe. They all deeply regret what occurred in 1986, but their opinions on 2020 strongly differ. Some strongly support the new nuclear power plant and hope for an increased standard of living, while others fear another accident. Belarusian state media and officials do not shirk from mentioning Chernobyl, either. “The memory of the events at Chernobyl is now being instrumentalised and used to legitimise the new nuclear power plant. On the 30th anniversary of the accident, a documentary film was broadcast which began with footage of the 1986 accident and ended with a hint that this time, everything would be alright,” writes Alexey Bratochkin, head of public history projects at the European College of Liberal Arts in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Once the nuclear power plant is fully operational, explained the authorities in the early stages of construction, electricity prices will fall. In 2014, the Ministry of Energy promised that electricity “will become cheaper for the consumer” by 20-30 percent. But some Belarusians seem to be sceptical about promises of cheap energy. They also doubt that the power plant will open at all, given that its launch has already been postponed at least four times. All these views can be seen in local community groups on social media: “I work on the construction site of the nuclear power plant, and [acquaintances] sometimes ask me when it will be launched. I think [the plant’s management] don’t even know themselves, they say within two to three years at a minimum”, says Alyaksandr, who was born and grew up in Astravets, in a Telegram chat with GlobalVoices. Does Alyaksandr expect a drop in electricity prices? He might be right to, given that electric vehicles are already under development and power engineers are modernising heating networks in newly-constructed residential buildings to be more energy efficient. “Logically that should be the case. But in Volgodonsk [a city in Russia] there’s also a nuclear power plant. There are more than two reactors, but after the plant was constructed energy actually became more expensive”, remarks Alyaksandr. He may be right, according to the results of a study conducted by the Belarusian NGO EcoDom this summer. The authors concluded that the electricity prices for Belarusian consumers will almost double in price. “The prime cost of electricity in the network as a whole will not decrease, but will increase from four cents to [US$]7.26; that is, 1.8 times”, concluded EcoHome.

A geopolitical gambit

There have also been geopolitical promises. Namely, that Belarus would lessen its energy dependence on natural gas supplies from Russia. Nuclear power is “part of our independence”, and its greater use would ensure “sovereignty and independence”, promised Lukashenka in September. Indeed, shortly before the decision to construct Astravets was taken in 2007, Russia accounted for some 85 percent of all Belarus’ energy imports. Much of this is natural gas, from which Belarus generates 93 percent of its electricity. In their quest to reduce their country’s energy dependence on Russia, the Belarusian authorities turned to an old partner — Russia. Moscow was happy to oblige, offering a loan of up to $10 billion for the new power plant. This loan must be repaid over a 15 year period, starting from 2023. Thus the Belarusian leadership tied itself to a massive financial obligation to the same country from which it wanted to reduce dependence. “The political meaning of the construction and launch of the nuclear power plant was associated with the goal of ensuring energy security for Belarus. It probably isn’t the best idea. The nuclear power plant is an ongoing economic and political miscalculation”, says Andrey Yegorov, a political scientist and analyst at the Centre for European Transformation and member of the board of the Green Network, a partnership of environmental organisations. In an interview with GlobalVoices, Yegorov emphasised that now Belarus will not only pay loans to Russia, it will still need to buy Russian energy resources. Only now it will import nuclear fuel.

READ MORE: What is Russia's endgame in Belarus?

Astravets could certainly cover much of Belarus’ domestic energy needs — in fact, according to the Ministry of Energy, the plant is likely to generate a surplus. All that excess energy must go somewhere, but where? Russia is well supplied by its own nuclear power plants. Belarus’ other neighbours do not intend to buy energy from Astravets, which they consider unsafe. Lithuania is a particularly fierce opponent both of the construction of the power plant and purchasing energy it will generate. After all, Astravets lies just 20 kilometres from its border. Vilnius has even passed a law on boycotting electricity from the new power plant. On October 26, Litgrid, operator of Lithuania’s national electricity grid, announced how it would react to the first receipt of electricity from Belarus, which is expected between November 1-10. “We will immediately set the capacity to zero megawatts for all commercial electricity flows from Belarus”, said Litgrid’s interim head Vidmantas Grušas in a press release. This statement is the consequence of Lithuania’s long-standing position. It was summed up by President Ginatas Nausėda on October 21. “The Belarusian nuclear power plant poses a threat to the safety of EU citizens. Therefore it is necessary to put a stop to the irresponsible launch of this nuclear power plant”, said Nausėda. Estonia, Latvia, and Poland have all announced their refusal to purchase energy from Astravets, partly out of solidarity with Lithuania’s position. Ukraine has also declined, stating that it has its own energy surplus. At a meeting of the Council of Europe in October, European leaders stressed that the degree of compliance with and implementation of safety requirements and tests at the Astravets nuclear power plant would affect relations between the EU and Belarus.

The ecologists’ revolt

In September, the Belarusian Green Party and several ecological organisations released a declaration against the nuclear power plant at Astravets. As they saw it, its launch was even more dangerous in the context of a political crisis. “Let’s start with the fact that the internal troops and security forces, which could be involved in mitigating the consequences of any crisis, are now busy with something else entirely — clashing with protesters”, write the ecologists. Indeed, police detain an average of 500-700 people every weekend during protests. And protests don’t just take place on weekends. Judging by the estimates of the Belarusian human rights centre Viasna, more than 16,000 people have been detained since August 9. As of early October, human rights defenders had recorded over 2,000 complaints of torture and violence during detention, according to the International Committee on the Investigation of Torture. Meanwhile, layoffs and strikes are also taking place. For example, on October 26 some factory workers, including those at chemical plants, did not turn up at work. On the same day, Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s Telegram channel noted that “the president, like all right-minded Belarusians, is at work today”.

READ MORE: Belarusian labour activists pressured as political crisis drags on

Yegorov, the political scientist, notes that in the current situation, being right-minded means sensibly assessing the risks: “A nuclear power plant can be highly dangerous and is very risky to operate. Putting one into operation amid unprecedented epidemiological, political and economic crises is risky”, he says. It must be added that at the time of writing, the COVID-19 infection rate in Belarus has peaked. It now stands where it did in May, during the first wave of the pandemic. “First and foremost, the danger posed by the nuclear power plant is not connected with the political system nor the epidemiological situation”, remarks Andrey Ozharovsky, an active participant of the Belarusian anti-nuclear movement. Ozharovsky believes that nuclear power is dangerous in any situation; Chernobyl exploded under socialism and Fukushima under capitalism. Nevertheless, the danger may increase if the launch itself becomes a political event: “Belarus’ atomic project has been a political one from the outset, as Lukashenka has said many times. If it is in his personal interests to rush its start-up, then in accordance with old Soviet traditions, the facility may be commissioned with imperfections. When it comes to a nuclear power plant, that dramatically increases the likelihood of severe accidents”, warns Ozharovsky. The long term future of the facility at Astravets also poses a key problem: the power plant will function for 60 years, but radioactive waste remains dangerous for several thousand. However, political realities can be far more fleeting. “If the ruling powers in Belarus change, the question will arise as to whether Belarus needs this nuclear power plant. Let me remind you that countries such as Germany have rejected nuclear energy. France has made it a political goal to reduce its independence on nuclear energy from 70 to 50 percent”, Ozharovsky explains.

Waiting for the green revolution

In the short term, ecologists see Astravets as a setback for Belarusian renewable energy. According to a 2018 study by EcoHome and the Institute for Technical Thermodynamics of the German Aerospace Centre, Belarus could close its nuclear power plant by 2040 and fully transition to renewable energy by 2050. Pavel Gorbunov, an energy researcher with EcoHome, calls the Astravets nuclear power plant an unprofitable project. He is convinced that it would be cheaper not to launch the plant, recognising the investment as a loss maker and starting to pay back the loan which Belarus took out for its construction. “In the medium and the long term, the Astravets nuclear power plant will compete with prices for electricity from renewable sources”, said Gorbunov in an interview. This is because Belarus is currently developing renewable energy alongside its nuclear sector. However, the launch of the new power plant and the surplus of electricity which it will produce are expected to reduce investor interest in developing industrial-scale renewable energy. This is the belief of Vladimir Nistyuk, the executive director of Belarus’ Renewable Energy Association, which includes about 40 organisations. The launch also threatens to reduce the opportunities for producers of energy from renewable sources to sell their electricity back to the national grid. It will also impact the “elimination of increasing coefficients”, which allowed them to do so at a more favourable price. At the same time, the expert notes that there remains a public interest in energy sources which allow ordinary people and companies alike to generate their own electricity. Biogas is being actively developed, he adds. “In general, even if the development of renewable [energy] sources slows down, it will not be for long. As Karl Marx said, one cannot live in society and be free from it”, Nistyuk told GlobalVoices. “There’s no getting away from that, because we live in a civilised world which has long since started to appreciate the benefits of renewable energy and its prospects. We are optimists”. This article is made possible through a partnership with Transitions, a Prague-based publishing and media training organisation

Find out more about the turmoil in Belarus here

Written by Hanna Valynec

[brookston]

Holidays 8.22

Holidays

America’s Cup Day

Baltic Unity Day (Latvia)

Be An Angel Day

Chuck Brown Day

Dia do Folclore (Folklore Day; Brazil)

Exercise Day

Feast of the Queenship of Mary

Flag Day (Russia)

International Apostasy Day

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion of Belief (UN)

International Museum Meme Day

Liquid Soap Day

Loch Ness Monster Day

Madras Day (India)

National Firefighters Day (Mexico)

National Pamela Day

National Punctuation Day

National Rainbow Baby Day

National Surgical Oncologist Day

National Tooth Fairy Day (also 2.28)

Never Bean Better Day

Pocketphone Day

Rumpleskunkskin’s Wedding (Goblin celebration)

Salmon Day (French Republic)

Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

Tunamint (Natural Chimneys, Virginia)

World Folklore Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eat a Peach Day

National Bao Day

National Pecan Torte Day

World Jolly Rice Day

World Plant Milk Day

Independence Days

Arstotzkan Union (Declared, 2019) [unrecognized]

Wakamawabla (Declared, 2016) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Andrew (Christian; Saint)

Archibald Willard (Artology)

Double Seventh Festival (a.k.a. Qi Xi Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day or Feast of the Milky Way; China) [7th Day of 7th Month]

Fabrizio (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Hathor and Min (Ancient Egypt)

Guinefort (Christian; Saint)

Harrison (Positivist; Saint)

Hippolytus (Christian; Saint)

Ignatius Reilly Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Immaculate Heart of Mary (Roman Catholic)

Janmashtami (Festival celebrating birth of Krishna; India)

Philibert (Christian; Saint)

Queenship of Mary (Christian; Saint)

Symphorian (Christian; Saint)

Tarantula Teasing Day (Pastafarian)

Timotheus (Christian; Saint)

Virgo zodiac sign begins (Pagan)

The Weatherberries (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Alice in the Big League (Disney Cartoon; 1927)

And Now For Something Completely Different (Film; 1972)

Another One Bites the Dust, by Queen (Song; 1980)

Bojack Horseman (Animated TV Series; 2014)

Bootle Beetle (Disney Cartoon; 1947)

The Cocktail Party, by T.S. Eliot (Play; 1949)

Dancing in the Streets, recorded by Martha and the Vandellas (Song; 1966)

Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen (Play; 1883)

G.I. Jane (Film; 1997)

Hamlet 2 (Film; 2008)

High Plains Drifter (Film; 1973)

The House Bunny (Film; 2008)

If I Stay (Film; 2014)

Joy in the Morning, by P.G. Wodehouse (Novel; 1947) [Jeeves #8]

Jumpin’ at the Woodside, recorded by Count Basie (Song; 1938)

Plop Goes the Weasel (WB LT Cartoon; 1953)

Porky’s Poultry Plant (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

The Saint, by Burt Barer (Film Novelization; 1997) [Saint #51]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Film; 2014)

The Skeleton Dance (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Stand By Me (Film; 1986)

Toby Tortoise Returns (Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Today’s Name Days

Regina, Siegfried (Austria)

Marija, Regina, Vladislava (Croatia)

Bohuslav (Czech Republic)

Symphorian (Denmark)

Iivo, Ivalo, Ivar, Ivari, Ivo (Estonia)

Iivari, Iivo (Finland)

Fabrice (France)

Maria Regina, Regina, Sigfried (Germany)

Menyhért, Mirjam (Hungary)

Fabrizio, Maria, Regina (Italy)

Nadīna, Rudīte (Latvia)

Ipolitas, Karijotas, Rimantė, Sigitas, Zygfridas (Lithuania)

Harriet, Harry (Norway)

Cezary, Dalegor, Fabrycjan, Fabrycy, Hipolit, Hipolita, Maria, Namysław, Oswald, Oswalda, Tymoteusz, Zygfryd (Poland)

Tichomír (Slovakia)

María, Timoteo (Spain)

Henrietta, Henrika (Sweden)

Florence, Florent (Ukraine)

Hayden, Hazel, Heath, Heather, Hector (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 234 of 2024; 131 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 34 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 15 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Geng-Shen), Day 7 (Ren-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 5 Elul 5783

Islamic: 5 Safar 1445

J Cal: 24 Hasa; Threesday [24 of 30]

Julian: 9 August 2023

Moon: 32%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 10 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Harrison]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 62 of 94)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 1 of 32)

Calendar Changes

Virgo (The Virgin) begins [Zodiac Sign 6; thru 9.22]

#calendar #Holidays

[nhouvang-blog]

The largest events held in the Baltic States are the UNESCO-listed song and dance festivals held in mid-summer every five years in Estonia and Latvia, and four years in Lithuania. These mass performances were at the center of the Baltic national awakenings, and remain pivotal events. With hundreds of choirs and dance groups performing over the course of four days to a week, these are the central events of the Baltic cultural calendars. As patriotic events that drew people from across the country and its classes, the song and dance celebrations became the center of resistance to the Soviet Union. While forced to sing communist songs, participants in the 80s also sang forbidden patriotic tunes, heralding what came to be known as the Singing Revolution, a series of independence movements that helped lead to the breakup of the Soviet Union. These festivals harken back to an earlier time in history. Performers wear linen folk clothing, and there is a strong emphasis on nature, with singers often weaving symbolic flowers and wreaths into their hair. These events are not nationalistic, and choirs come from all over Europe, and the US, to take part.

Although the next Lithuanian festival won’t be held until 2022, and Latvia’s next is in 2023, several of us have tickets booked for the Estonian festival in early July 2019. While most people attending the celebrations are locals, who stay with friends and family, it’s still best to book hotel rooms well in advance. All three festivals are held in areas outside the city centers, but have frequent buses and streetcars to the old town districts where we provide accommodations. Seats should be booked well in advance, although the song festivals have large grassy areas without seating that often still have affordable tickets available several weeks beforehand.

Estonia

Choral music is the epitome of Estonian and Latvian culture, what woodcarving is to Lithuanians or stone carving in Armenia. Estonia may be the world’s least religious country, but it feels like everyone there is in a church choir. Running into members of a choir singing as they walk down a street or drink down a bar is a common occurrence. Traveling around, you might notice that every town, and most villages, has a choral bandshell. The Estonian Song Festival in Tallinn is one of the world’s largest choral events, with over 30,000 singers performing before an audience of at least 80,000. A dance festival is held concurrently, with 10,000 dancers in folk dress performing traditional dances.

Although singing performances are held on both Saturday and Sunday, the first is the main event. This performance is preceded by a six-hour parade, as the festival’s dancers and singers (including choirs from around the world) make their way from Tallinn’s center to the song festival grounds on the opposite side of the bay. Estonia often feels like the world’s largest small town. This is especially true as the marchers are greeted by friends and family, who often run up to deliver hugs and flowers. Every performer wears the distinct folk costume of their village and town, and when members of the crowd salute the hometowns of the people marching by, the performers cheer in return. As the procession makes its way to the festival grounds, dancers perform parts of their routines, and choirs sing anything from ancient songs, to “If You’re Happy and You Know It” in Estonian.

At the festival grounds itself, emotions run high, with the crowd performing “The Wave,” chanting Estonia’s name, and cheering when an especially popular song begins. You may even see some audience members and singers crying during especially dramatic portions. The songs chosen vary from year to year, but generally have natural motifs and stress humility. Although the festival is held near Midsummer, when the nights are brief, the concert continues past dusk.

Latvia

Not to be outdone by their northern neighbors, the Latvians have their own mammoth song and dance festival. Held in Mezaparks, the “Forest Park” district of Riga, the festival grounds are in one of the city’s most popular areas, home to an amusement park, zoo, and Art Nouveau villas built for the city’s elites. The festival opens with a traditional sacred music concert held in Riga’s cathedral. A parade of participants in folk costume follows this. The parade lasts for several hours and ends at the Freedom Monument. As with the other song and dance festivals, there are several days of performances, with the main event being a massive concert towards the end. During the festival, there are many stages set up in Riga’s center to livestream performances.

Lithuania

Lithuania organizes its song and dance festival a little differently from its Baltic neighbors. This festival is offered every four years, and divided up between its two historic capitals, Kaunas and Vilnius. While Kaunas hosted the first song festivals, and remains home to the opening events, Vilnius hosts the grand finale. Lithuania’s program is diverse, mixing song and dancing with folk art exhibitions, crafts for and by children, traditional folklore and theater, and even a wind instrument orchestra. The final event is heralded by a traditional process held in honor of Lithuania’s founder, King Mindaugas. The medieval pageantry includes guilds, priests, and nobility arranged according to their historic status. This human river flows from the Cathedral, where it is blessed, to the festival grounds, where 12,000 sing before a vast crowd. 

Summer is the best time to visit the Baltic States, as the days are warm and mild, and even smaller cities are buzzing with busy cultural calendars. If you are fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania during their rare song and dance festivals (or even the youth versions, which are also held ever 4-5 years), be sure to make the most of the opportunity. With their combination of ancient traditions and sheer modern joy, these festivals are the highlights of any trip.

The post A Worthwhile Wait: The Baltic Song and Dance Festivals appeared first on Jayway Travel.

Related posts:

Souvenir Shopping in the Baltic States

Spring Festivals in Central and Eastern Europe

6 Bloggers Discover the Baltics with JayWay Travel

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.24

Holidays

Adam and Eve Day (Hungary)

Barahimizong (Sikkim, India)

Calendas (Mexico)

Chil’a (Elder Scrolls)

Christmas Eve (a.k.a. ... 

Aðfangadagskvöld (Iceland)

Apollo 8 Dark Side of the Moon Day

Bonfires on the Levee (Louisiana)

Declaration of Christmas Peace (Turku, Finland)

Drunken Synod's annual beer bash feast

Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italy)

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (Cambridge, England)

Fishmas [Also 1st Day of Trout Season]

Julaften (Norway)

Julafton (Sweden)

Juleaften (Denmark)

Last-Minute Shopper’s Day

Mistletoe Time

Nittel Nacht (Judaism)

Noche Buena (Spain, Latin America)

Quviasukvik (Inuit New Year; Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia)

Remember to Read the Instructions First Night

Silent Night Holy Night (Austria)

Super Saturday [Saturday before Xmas]

Tolling the Devil’s Knell (West Yorkshire, England)

T’owd ‘oss (North Yorkshire, England)

Weihnachten (Austria)

Wigilia (Poland)

Zerowork Season begins

Day of Military Honour — Siege of Ismail (Russia)

Heiligabend (Germany)

Helvetica Day

Jólabókaflóðið (Christmas Book Flood; Iceland)

Modresnach (German, Scandinavian)

National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day

Phonograph Patent Day

Sakewa (Sikkim, India)

Santuranticuy (Peru)

Utter Day

Yap Constitution Day (Micronesia)

Yuletide Lad #13 arrives (a.k.a. Aðfangadagskvöld; Kertasnikir or Candle Beggar; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Chocolate Day

National Egg Nog Day

4th Saturday in December

Super Saturday [Saturday before Christmas]

Independence Days

Libya (from Italy, 1951)

Feast Days

Adam and Eve (Christian; Saint)

Adela and Irmina (Christian; Saint)

Badnja Vece (ceremony where oak branches are blessed with barley)

Dauntless Dragon (Muppetism)

Egg Nog Day (Pastafarian)

Hanukkah Day #6 (Judaism) [thru Dec. 26th]

Harvey (Positivist; Saint)

Kolada begins (Asatru/Pagan/Slavic)

Krishna Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mōdraniht (Anglo-Saxon Pagan)

Orgies for World Peace Day (Pastafarian)

Paola Elisabetta Cerioli (Christian; Saint)

Gregory of Spoleto (Christian; Saint)

Sol Invictus (Birth of the Unconquered Sun)

Thrasilla (a.k.a. Trasilla) & Emiliana (Christian; Virgins)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [70 of 71]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1871)

The Aristocats (Animated Disney Film; 1970)

Don’t Look Up (Film; 2021)

The Interview (Film; 2014)

I Think We’re Alone Now, recorded by Tommy James & the Shondells (Song; 1966)

Silent Night, by Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr (Xmas Song; 1818)

The Truth About Father Christmas (UK Radio Play; 1922)

Tombstone (Film; 1993)

Today’s Name Days

Adam, Eva (Austria)

Evgeni, Evgeniya (Bulgaria)

Adam, Delfina, Eva, Irmina (Croatia)

Adam, Eva (Czech Republic)

Adam, Alexandrine (Denmark)

Aadam, Eeva, Eevi, Eva, Eve, Eveli, Evelin, Evi, Iivi, Ivi, Ivika, Tammo, Tamur (Estonia)

Aatami, Eeva, Eevi, Eveliina (Finland)

Adèle (France)

Abend, Adam, Eva (Germany)

Ahmet, Evgenia (Greece)

Ádám, Éva (Hungary)

Adele (Italy)

Ādams, Ieva (Latvia)

Adomas, Girstautas, Ieva, Minvydė (Lithuania)

Adam, Eva (Norway)

Ada, Adam, Adamina, Adela, Ewa, Ewelin, Ewelina, Godzisława, Grzegorz, Grzymisława, Hermina, Herminia, Irma, Irmina, Zenobiusz (Poland)

Eugenia (Romania)

Adam, Eva (Slovakia)

Delfín (Spain)

Eva (Sweden)

Eugenia (Ukraine)

Adan, Adana, Adam, Adamina, Addison, Ava, Eva, Eve, Evelyn (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 358 of 2022; 7 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 51 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Secret of the Unhewn Stone [Day 1 of 1]

Chinese: Month 12 (Dōngyuè), Day 2 (Xin-Hai)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 30 Kislev 5783

Islamic: 30 Jumada I 1444

J Cal: 28 Zima; Sixday [28 of 30]

Julian: 11 December 2022

Moon: 3%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 22 Bichat (12th Month) [Harvey]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 15 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 4 of 90)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 3 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Secret of the Unhewn Stone [Celtic Tree Calendar; 1 Day Outside Months]

#Holidays

[brookston]

Holidays 4.3

Holidays

American Circus Day

American Creed Day

Armenian Appreciation Day

Corrupt Society Day

Day of the Bride (Argentina)

Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day

A Drop of Water is a Grain of Gold

Fan Dance Day

Find A Rainbow Day

Good Deeds Day

Independent Artist Day

International Day Against Victim Blaming

Jane Goodall Day (Los Angeles)

Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus; Japan)

Love A Muslim Day (UK)

National Chalk Day

National Film Score Day

National Grey Day

National Inspiring Joy Day

National Library Week begins

National Pac-Man Day

National Shoot Your Shot Day

Overcome a Handicap Day

Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

Peace Day (Angola)

Pony Express Day

Second Republic Day (Guinea)

TV Guide Day

Tweed Day

Weed Out Hate: Sow the Seeds of Greatness Day

World Aquatic Animal Day

World Cloud Security Day

World Party Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day

Fish Fingers and Custard Day

National Chocolate Mousse Day

1st Monday in April

National Bake Week begins [1st Monday]

National Fun Day [1st Monday]

Public Library Day [Monday of Library Week]

School Librarian Day [Monday of Library Week]

Sweet Potato Day [1st Monday]

Tater Day (Kentucky) [1st Monday]

Independence Days

Declaration of the Second Republic (Guinea)

Malinovia (Declared 2018) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Agape, Chionia, and Irene (Christian; Martyrs)

Aristæus (Positivist; Saint)

Burgundofara (Christian; Saint)

Captain Cabbage (Muppetism)

Day of Sheela-Na-Gig (Pagan)

Doris Day (Pastafarian)

Feast of Pak Tai (Macau) [3rd Day of 3rd Lunar Month]

Goof Friday (Church of the SubGenius)

Holy Monday [6 Days before Easter]

Luigi Scrosoppi (Christian; Saint)

Nicetias (Christian; Saint)

Plato (Christian; Saint)

Proserpina’s Rise from the Underworld Day (Ancient Greece)

Richard of Chichester (Christian; Saint)

Seize a Sausage Day (Pastafarian)

Ulpin of Tyre (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sizdar-Bedah (Unlucky to stay indoors; Iran)

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Adventureland (Film; 2009)

Beethoven (Film; 1992)

The Druid of Shannara, by Terry Brooks (Novel; 1991)

Fast & Furious (Film; 2009) [F&F #4]

Furious 7 (Film; 2015) [F&F #7]

It Happened at the World’s Fair (Film; 1963)

It’s Now or Never, recorded by Elvis Presley (Song; 1960)

The Long, Hot Summer (Film; 1958)

Louisiana Hayride (Radio Music Series; 1948)

Mercury Rising (Film; 1998)

My Hero Academia (Anime TV Series; 2016)

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregor (Novel; 2008)

Piano Concerto in A Minor, by Edvard Grieg (Concerto; 1869)

Planet of the Apes (Film; 1968)

Planning for Good Eating (Disney Cartoon; 1946)

Rock-A-Doodle (Animated Film; 1992)

Rumple of the Bailey (UK TV Series; 1978)

The Sea-Wolf (Novel; 1904)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Film; 1968)

Today’s Name Days

Richard, Sixtus (Austria)

Radojko, Ratko, Rikard, Siksto (Croatia)

Richard (Czech Republic)

Nicæas (Denmark)

Uko, Uku (Estonia)

Sampo, Veeti (Finland)

Richard (France)

Irene, Lisa, Richard (Germany)

Illyria’s (Greece)

Buda, Richárd (Hungary)

Riccardo, Sisto (Italy)

Daira, Dairis, Ferdinands (Latvia)

Kristijonas, Ričardas, Rimtautė, Vytenis (Lithuania)

Gunnvald, Gunvor (Norway)

Antoni, Cieszygor, Jakub, Pankracy, Ryszard (Poland)

Nichita (Romania)

Richard (Slovakia)

Ricardo (Spain)

Ferdinand, Nanna (Sweden)

Dick, Dickson, Dix, Dixie, Dixon, Doris, Ricarda, Ricardo, Rich, Richard, Richelle, Richman, Rick, Rickey, Ricky, Rosamond, Rosamund, Ryan (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 93 of 2024; 272 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 14 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Second Month 2 (Gui-Mao), Day 13 (Xin-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 12 Nisan 5783

Islamic: 12 Ramadan 1444

J Cal: 2 Aqua; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 21 March 2023

Moon: 93%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 9 Archimedes (4th Month) [Aristæus]

Runic Half Month: Ehwaz (Horse) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 15 of 90)

Zodiac: Aries (Day 14 of 30)

#calendar #Holidays