Latvian value. 25 bakers offered wholemeal bread baked according to their special recipe on Bread Day in Áraiši. Photo: Sarmīte Feldmane
When it’s Bread Day in Āraišu Windmill, thousands from all over Latvia make their way to spend time both in this place and during the holiday.
Vineta Cipe, the owner of the Áraiš Windmill, says that those who ride have admitted that they like to be in a beautiful place where a unique landscape opens up on all sides, that they are attracted by the location of the event – a farm, the open atmosphere, and also that an interesting program is offered here. Families spend many hours, willingly go for a walk along the “Kukulīša trail”, learn the path of grain to bread. The horse dances, which have been organized by the “Klaijumi” horse farm for several summers during the Maize festival, are especially awaited.
Everyone could see for themselves how different the rye bread of different bakers is. 25 bakers offered wholemeal bread baked according to their recipes. On the other hand, 16 master delicacies could be judged in the cake competition. The visitors’ interest in pancakes, which were baked in a trough on a wood-burning stove, was inexplicable. “People are ready to stand in line for an hour to see how pancakes are baked on the stove in a large pan, and to be able to taste them. It’s something interesting for the townspeople,” said Armands Zalaks, a pancake baker and baker.
V. Cipe emphasizes that over the years a cohesive team of Bread Day organizers has been formed. This summer, Bread Day was held in Áraiši for the 20th time. Its idea belongs to the ethnographer Indra Ceksteri, she has also studied the traditions of baking rye bread in Latvia. Indra is still the driving force of the event. “I have been among the organizers for 17 years. It is important to continue the tradition and offer something new every time. If there were a few dozen participants and visitors at the first festival, it cannot be compared to how it is now. There were 130 traders in the market alone. Cider producers also applied last year, they feel they belong in Āraiši because they make a Latvian product from fruits and berries grown in Latvia,” says V. Cipe and emphasizes that every year opportunities are used to attract funding from a project competition. It is clear that if Bread Day is a paid event, there will be much fewer visitors. At the same time, the cost of organizing something increases every year. There is the support of the Gauja National Park, which is the owner of the Áraiši Windmill.
“Each Bread Day is three months of organizational work, which is done in addition to everyday activities. It is satisfying when the mill yard and meadows are full of people, music is playing, people are meeting, relaxing,” admits V. Cipe and says that among the visitors there were people interested from Japan, Germany, America, Norway, as well as a large number of Ukrainians. It is a pleasure that compatriots who came from Norway and Scotland also baked their cakes for the competition.
The owner of the Áraiš mill says that this summer, as in other tourist facilities in the area, there are fewer tourists than last year. Many foreigners have stayed before the Song Festival. This summer, at the suggestion of Vineta’s daughter-in-law Marta Ritova, musical magical sunsets are being held. “We were sitting and enjoying the Áraiš evening, then the idea of a concert came up. Marta sang at the magical solstice sunset, friends played music, musician Chris Noah entertained at the sunset concert in July. If there are people interested, it’s a pleasure to host,” says V. Cipe and adds that weekday evenings are chosen for concerts, not holidays, when there is a very wide offer of events all around.
The Áraiši Windmill is a popular tourist attraction, but Āraiši summer cannot be imagined without the traditional Bread Day.
2023-08-10 00:02:00
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