New Year's Day in Latvia

Legal status and substitute days

The law On Public Holidays, Commemoration Days, and Celebration Days lists 1 January as New Year’s Day. It also designates 31 December as New Year’s Eve, placing both dates among Latvia’s public holidays.[1]

Under the Labour Law, employees are not required to work on public holidays. If continuous operation makes holiday work necessary, an employer may require it by granting rest on another day or providing appropriate remuneration. The law provides a supplement of at least 100 per cent for public-holiday work, while the State Labour Inspectorate explains that paid rest on another weekday can be used instead of that supplement.[2][3]

Latvia’s law provides for the next working day to become a holiday when certain named holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday: 4 May, the Final Day of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, and 18 November. New Year’s Day is not among those exceptions, so that rule does not create a substitute day for 1 January.[1]

How people mark the occasion

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes New Year’s festivities in Latvia as usually beginning on the evening of 31 December. It says people commonly stay awake past midnight, toast one another with champagne at midnight, and exchange wishes for a happy new year.[3]

This official description centers on welcoming the new year together. It does not identify particular foods, regional customs, concerts, or public ceremonies for New Year’s Day itself, so those should not be treated as established nationwide traditions based on this source.[3]

History and meaning

The current public-holiday law was adopted in 1990 and names 1 January as New Year’s Day. The official material consulted here confirms the date’s place in Latvia’s legal calendar and describes the midnight celebration, but it does not document the holiday’s earlier origins or the history of calendar changes in Latvia.[1][3]

For a Latvia-specific point of context, the law separately recognizes both New Year’s Eve on 31 December and New Year’s Day on 1 January. The Ministry’s description connects the celebration across the two dates, with festivities beginning the previous evening and the midnight toast welcoming the new year.[1][3]

Work and practical arrangements

The public-holiday designation affects employment: employees generally are not required to work on 1 January, although continuity needs can allow holiday work under the Labour Law’s rest or remuneration provisions. The Labour Law also says that a working day is shortened by one hour before a public holiday, subject to the stated exceptions for shorter hours set by workplace rules or agreements.[2]

Check opening hours with government offices and banks before you go. Check directly with banks, shops, museums or transport services for their New Year’s Day schedules.[1][2]