Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia Celebrated the Midsummer Festival

当地时间2019年6月23日、24日，拉脱维亚大学孔子学院应拉脱维亚大学人文学院亚洲学系中文专业负责人鲍葛薇（Agita Baltgalve）教授邀请，在鲍葛薇教授位于文茨皮尔斯的家中欢度拉脱维亚传统节日——仲夏节（Ligo）。

仲夏节，又称夏至节，是拉脱维亚最悠久的传统节日之一。当地居民不但会编花环、跳篝火、喝啤酒，还会在麦田跑步，在河中游泳以期待第二天日出的到来，表达了人与自然的和谐共存。6月23日下午，拉脱维亚大学孔子学院的教师们在鲍葛薇教授的带领下参观了文茨皮尔斯消防火车，大家了解了消防火车的运作方式并体验了火车上消防装置的使用；之后，教师们在鲍葛薇教授家的农田里体验了做农活的乐趣，大家为胡萝卜除草，挖土豆和甜菜，采摘茴香和小葱，在劳动的欢笑中吃上了用新鲜食材做成的晚餐；晚餐之后，一部分人漫步在田野间，采摘各色的野花制作成漂亮的花环，另一部分人趁着大好的夕阳泛舟在波光粼粼的湖面，享受着湖上宁静的落日余晖；天色渐暗，教师们在鲍葛薇教授优美的吉他弹唱中点起了篝火，大家围着篝火烧烤，载歌载舞。6月24日，吃过丰盛的早午饭，大家参观了位于文茨皮尔斯乡间拥有300多年历史的马丁路德新教教堂，接着驱车前往文茨皮尔斯的海边，在碧海蓝天相伴的白沙滩上享受着日光浴，最后在海边的欢声笑语中结束了这一趟奇妙难忘的仲夏节之旅。

仲夏节是拉脱维亚人祈祷身体健康和亲近自然的传统节日，鲍葛薇教授表示非常欢迎拉脱维亚大学孔子学院来家中做客，共度佳节。拉脱维亚大学孔子学院中方院长尚劝余教授和教师们也十分感谢鲍葛薇教授的热情邀请，纷纷表示能在拉脱维亚圆梦仲夏节也是一件非常难忘且有意义的事。

Local time on 23^rd and 24^th June, 2019, The Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia was invited by Prof. Agita Baltgalve, the head of the Asian Department of the Humanities College of the University of Latvia, to celebrate the Midsummer Festival (Ligo) at her home which is located at Ventspils.

The Midsummer Festival (Latvian: Ligo) was one of the oldest traditional festival in Latvia. The local residents will not only make garlands, cross the bonfires and drink beer, but also run in the wheat fields and swim in the river to look forward to the next sunrise, which expresses the harmonious coexistence of human and nature. On the afternoon of 23^rd June, Prof. Agita Baltgalve led the teachers of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia to visit the fire train in Ventspils, they learned about the operation of the fire train and experienced the use of fire-fighting devices on the train. Afterwards, teachers experienced the joy of doing farm work in the farmland of Prof. Agita Baltgalve. They weeded carrots, dig potatoes and beets, picked fennel and shallots, and ate dinner made with fresh ingredients, accompanying with the laughter of labor. After dinner, some of them walked in the fields, picking wildflowers of various colors to make beautiful garlands, and the others boated in the glistening lakes and enjoyed the peaceful sunset. When the sky is getting darker, they set a bonfire in the beautiful guitar accompanied by vocals from Prof. Agita Baltgalve. Everyone was roasting around the bonfire and singing and dancing. On 24^th June, after a hearty breakfast, they visited the Martin Luther Protestant Church, which is more than 300 years old in the Ventspils countryside, and then they drove to the seaside of Ventspils to enjoy the white sand beaches along the blue sea and blue sky. Finally this wonderful and unforgettable Midsummer Festival tour ended in the laughter of the seaside.

The Midsummer Festival is a traditional festival in which Latvians pray for good health and closeness to nature. Prof. Agita Baltgalve said that she welcomes the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia to come to her home to celebrate together. Prof. Shang Quanyu, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia, and teachers were also very grateful to Prof. Agita Baltgalve for her warm invitation. They said that it is also a very memorable and meaningful event in Latvia.