Good Friday in Latvia
Good Friday is a public holiday in Latvia and part of a three-day Easter holiday period that also includes Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Its legal status gives employees protection from being required to work, while church observances focus on the Passion of Christ.[1][2][3]
Legal status and dates
Latvia’s Law on Public Holidays, Commemoration Days, and Celebration Days lists Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday as public holidays. Good Friday falls on the Friday before Easter Sunday, so its calendar date changes from year to year.[1][3]
The law provides a following-working-day holiday when 4 May, the final day of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, or 18 November falls on a Saturday or Sunday. It does not include Good Friday in that substitute-day rule, so Good Friday does not receive an automatic replacement day under this provision.[1]
Meaning and observance
Good Friday commemorates the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and is part of the final week of preparation for Easter in the Catholic Church. In Latvia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes Easter as a period when people attend church and also observe Latvian festive traditions, often with family or close friends.[3][4]
Latvian Catholic guidance describes a solemn Good Friday liturgy: the day is observed without Mass, and churches may display a symbolic representation of Christ’s tomb. These are Catholic practices described by the Latvian Catholic information service; they should not be taken as a uniform account of every Latvian church or household.[4]
Work, services and planning
Under Latvia’s Labour Law, employees are not required to work on statutory public holidays. If work is needed to maintain continuity, the employer may arrange compensatory rest on another day or provide appropriate remuneration; the law also sets a supplement of at least 100 per cent for work performed on a public holiday.[2]
Public-holiday status does not establish that every private business or service closes. Check the specific provider’s hours and holiday timetable before making plans.[1]
Good Friday in Latvia: FAQs
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Latvia?
Yes. Latvia’s public-holiday law lists Good Friday alongside Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.[1]
Do employees have the day off?
Employees generally cannot be required to work on a statutory public holiday. Work may be arranged where continuity is needed, with compensatory rest or appropriate remuneration under the Labour Law.[2]
Does Latvia add a substitute day if Good Friday falls on a weekend?
The law’s following-working-day rule names 4 May, the final day of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, and 18 November; it does not name Good Friday.[1]
Are shops and public transport open?
Opening hours and transport timetables depend on the provider. Check directly with the shop or transport operator before travelling.
Sources and references
Sources used for Good Friday in Latvia:
- On Public Holidays, Commemoration Days, and Celebration Days- Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia; consolidated by the State Language Centre
- Labour Law- Republic of Latvia; consolidated by the State Language Centre
- 11. National Hollidays and Remembrance Days- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia
- Lielā nedēļa- Katoļu Baznīcas informācijas aģentūra (Latvian Catholic Information Agency)