One in three surveyed residents of Latvia admitted that they do not attend any patriotic events during national holidays.
Almost half of Latvia's residents - 46% - spend national holidays at home with family. This is evidenced by a survey conducted by Norstat Latvija.
The most family-oriented generation is the youth aged 18 to 29: 52% of them prefer to celebrate with loved ones. Among people aged 50–59, this figure is lower at 41%.
Torchlight processions attract 18% of residents, with young people making up the majority at 27%. Another 18% watch the military parade live or on television. Among older Latvians (60+), this figure is slightly higher at 21%.
Only 10% of respondents decide to visit the Freedom Monument or light candles at the wall of the Riga Castle. Meanwhile, one in three, or 33%, admitted that they do not attend any patriotic events at all.
The regional picture closely mirrors the overall trend. In Vidzeme, 54% of residents choose to celebrate with family, in Kurzeme - 47%, in Riga - 45%, in Latgale - 43%, and in Zemgale - 41%.
Torchlight processions are most popular in Vidzeme (31%) and Kurzeme (29%), while in Riga, the number of participants is significantly lower at just 7%. The military parade is most often watched by residents of Vidzeme (22%), and less frequently by those in Latgale and the capital (15% and 17%, respectively).
At the same time, it is in Riga that the highest number of people do not celebrate holidays at all - 40%, while in Vidzeme, this figure is only 20%.
