Latvia’s Independence Day is honored in today’s Doodle. The Latvian People’s Council met in Riga on this day in 1918 and proclaimed the country’s independence from German and Russian rule.
At the Freedom Monument, there is a flower-laying ceremony to kick off the celebrations. Soon after, a sizable military procession passes through the capital city, accompanied by a plane that emits red and scarlet smoke in the shape of the Latvian flag, similar to the one seen in today’s Doodle.
Light shows, government lectures, and patriotic concerts ensue. Rupjmaizes kārtojums, a layered delight of rye bread, cream, and fruit, is Latvia’s national dessert and is consumed as a snack. One of the oldest customs on Independence Day is the torchlight march, which draws over 10,000 participants. Fireworks erupted in the night sky to cap off the celebrations.
Happy Proklamēšanas Latvijas Republikas!