Istituto Comprensivo Statale

Primary school students’ reflections on the Latvian culture and the importance of its tradition.

Latvia is one of the Northen European nations which partecipates in Project Comenius.At school ,we saw a video about the Festival of Latvian song and dance that they celebrates every five years and it was declared Masterpiece of the World’s Oral Inviolable and Cultural Property.When approaching the date for the great Latvian Festival, all Latvia starts searching signals and symbols celebrating the awaited week of the traditional songs and dances.

The most important symbols of the Latvian culture are:God’s symbol representing male strength.Mara’s symbol: she is the material goddess protecting women and fertility.Laima’s broom that is like a bird’s feather.The Sun’s symbol representing life.Austra’s tree protecting families and parents.Laima’ symbolJanis’s symbol representing folklore, it burns on the tree branches.The Latvian traditions are deeply linked to the peasant life and to the rhythms punctuating it.The folklore, orally transmitted, is rich of tales, stories and legends.A graffiti artist painted the symbol “ THE MORNING STAR” on the side of a car.The Festival of song and dance is so important that every place , house and space is full of symbols representing their culture and tradition.

UNION MAKES STRENGHT. DIFFERENCES JOIN TOGETHER.

TO REACH THE AIM WE HAVE TO DEVOTE OURSELVES AND NEVER GIVE UP TRAY ING IT:

HAT AND HAMMER SYMBOLIZE WORK. DROPS SYMBOLIZE SWEAT.

THIS SYMBOL REPRESENTS THE MODERN COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT THAT JOIN NATIONS, REDUCIND THE DISTANCE AMONG THEM.

TECHNOLOGY SURROUNDS US AND IT IS SPREADING ALL OVER THE WORLD, EVEN IN THE UNDER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SO IT IS ESSENTIAL TO HUMANITY.

IT IS THE SYMBOL OF ANGELS WHO, EVEN IF IVISIBLE, ARE ALWAYS PRESENT AND DRIVE MEN

TOWARDS THE WORD’S PEACE AND HARMONY.

THE CIRCLE REPRESENTS THE SUN, THE CROSS REPRESENTS RECOVERY, HEARTS REPRESENT LOVE

AND ARROWS REPRESENT THE ROAD TOWARDS PEACE.

THE SYMBOL OF FAMILY: FOUR CIRCLES, EACH GOING FOR A DIFFERENT WAY BUT ALL LINKED EACH OTHER, WITHOUT SEPARATING.

THE SYMBOL OF UNION.

REPRESENTS LOVE, LIFE, PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP.IF WE JOIN TOGETHER WE CAN FIND NEW FRIENDS AND REACH NEW OBJECTIVES.

THE SYMBOL OF WAR AND OF PEACE:THE SWORD SYMBOLIZES WAR AND THE RED SPOTS MEAN PAINSAND DEATH. THE SUN ON THE BACK REPRESENTS THE RECONCILIATION AMONG THE ENEMY COUNTRIES.

•THE SYMBOL OF PROMISE AND OF WILL. THIS IS THE SYMBOL OF THE PROMISE AND OF THE WILL TO DO OWN BEST.THE ARROW REPRESENTS THE PERSON ,HIS AIM AND HIS WILL: ONLY DOING HIS OWN BEST HE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

•THE SYMBOL OF FRIENDSHIP: JOINING THE TWO ARROWS WE CAN FORM A CIRCLE.

•THE SYMBOL OF THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN TWO PEOPLES. THE SYMBOL OF BROTHERHOOD OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES.

•THE SYMBOL OF THE COOPERATION AMONG PEOPLES. THIS SYMBOL REPRESENTS FRIENDSHIP AND UNION AMONG PEOPLES WHO, EVEN IF DISTANT, MUST COOPERATE FOR A MUTUAL OBJECTIVE: EVERYBODY’S WELLFARE.

THE BEAUTY OF NATURE:

THE SYMBOL REPRESENTS THE STRENGHT COMING FROM THE UNION OF MORE PRIMITIVE ELEMENTS.

HARMONY

REPRESENTS GOD’S UNIVERSAL POWER .

LINKS

THE SYMBOL OF PROTECTION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LOVES SUCH AS FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP.

THE ANGEL OF FRIENDSHIP REPRESENTS THE PROTECTION OF THE CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIP AND PURITY.

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

IS THE SYMBOL OF THE UNION BETWEEN THE MOTHER’S LOVE AND LIGHT.

THE THREATENED PEACE

SYMBOLIZES THE NEGATIVITY THREATENING THE PEACE IN THE WORLD.

THE SUN :SYMBOL OF PROTECTION OF GOOD FROM EVIL’S ATTACTS.

THE SYMBOL OF EARTH.

THE SYMBOL OF AIR.

THE SYMBOL OF PEACE.

THE SYMBOL OF BROTHERHOOD AND OF THE UNIVERSAL LOVE.

THE SYMBOL OF FRIENDSHIP.

THE SYMBOL OF SKY .

THE SYMBOL OF FREEDOM.

THIS SYMBOL OF PEACE JOINS

AND PROTECTS ALL PEOPLE.

IT REPRESENTS WHAT SURROUNDS NATURE: TREES, SEAS, ANIMALS. IT BRINGS JOY WITH ALL ITS COLOURS.

IT IS THE SYMBOL OF THE NATURE’S ELEMENTS: WATER, AIR ,FIRE AND EARTH.

IT IS THE SYMBOL OF WELCOME: WHEN A PERSON COMES FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY AND HE DOESN’T KNOW ANYONE, WE MUST RECEIVE HIM AS HE IS IN HIS COUNTRY.

SOL ROCS , SYMBOL OF NATURE AND SPACE REPRESENTS NATURE ,FIRE, EARTH,WATER AND THE INFINITE SPACE.

THE SYMBOL OF OFFERING TREATMENT: EVERY TIME YOU HELP SOMEBODY, YOU ‘LL RECEIVE A SUPPORT.