When in the UK, no matter how hard I tried, I could never find a pair o slippers I liked. I now know why. It seems like Latvia imports the 90% of the worlds production of slippers. Every home you go to has at least 20 pairs at the font door. All shapes, sizes and colours are available to the casual visitor. I dread to think what happens at Jani if it rains and celebrations have to be held indoors. Do homeowners keep a secret stock of them for such events? The ritual of taking shoes of when entering a home wasn’t something we did as kids. As one of five children who were constantly in and out of home, together with our five cousins I think mum would have had a heart attach If she had tried to make us take our shoes of every time we came inside. I have to admit though it is a very practical and respectful practice but one that still irritates me, a legacy from my childhood I expect.
Whilst on the issue of homes, every home I have visited has a money plant (naudas koks), a Christmas cactus (ziemassvetku kaktuss) and orchids (orhideja). Now can somebody please explain why these three, when there are hundreds of different indoor plants available at “Depot”. Inta tells me that when you plant a money tree you must put a coin underneath it and plant it in a green pot. This is meant to encourage personal and family wealth. I am told that if you keep the money plant in a kitchen you will always have food. Now if we work on the principal that the resources of the world are finite, it means that if somebody gets something, somebody loses something. So if everybody in the world had a money tree this wouldn’t work.
One final observation. Every home seems to have a minka (cat). Not sure why and have no theories? I look forward to your suggestions.
I am sure there are many more stories and old wives tales people would like to share. I look forward to reading your comments
An Englishman in Latvia 
Hi.
How strange I find to read this blog as this is so true.We all have pets, plants and strange believings I never even though about that before*)
I could think of any latvian I know u doesn’t*)
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ha ha Andrew :)) well we latvians don’t get it how can people do not take shoes and bring in all dirt from outside right to their loving clean home its almost like sleeping in public toilet for us . As for cats and dogs in olden days everybody had cat and dog :dog was who protects you or helps you at the farm (country side) , cat was the one who helps catch the mice and keeps your feet and soul warm at cold winter times. As for flowers we believe in things (this case flowers) that it can help and all the best psychiatrist will tell u that with positive thinking and believing in it things will change :))) hope u got some understanding now in our culture and style of living xxx
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Yup.. always shoe’s off when indoors.. no ifs, no buts and no matter how many children in the house – same rules for everyone in a typical Latvian family 🙂
And cats simply make very good pets 😉 Relatively low maintenance, gracious, independent but yet affectionate (when they choose to be) – think that suits our nordic mentality well.. But generally they just hugely add to cosiness and make homes homey..
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well said 🙂
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Yes, we love pets , but you won’t see minka in every home. Have you been in our pub to taste a beer ? Have you seen there darts ? In every pub ? In UK, darts are in almost every pub and more beer you drink more darts you play. Nice to see so many drunk players in one place. Ha-ha. Slippers are very usual in every home, not 20 pairs like you said. It is so usual like traditional full english breakfast in UK , what you can have in any hotel, guest house … Do you realy eat the same breakfast every morning and all your life???
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Eating a full english breakfast everyday would be very boring and extremely unhealthy. With Inta being Latvian we rarely have a full English. Might have one tomorrow though, now that you’ve reminded me about them
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Greatt post
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