Lāčplēša Day

Lāčplēsis Day (Latvian: Lāčplēša Diena) is a memorial day for soldiers who fought for the independence of Latvia. It is celebrated on November 11 marking the victory over the West Russian Volunteer Army – a joint Russian-German volunteer force led by the warlord Pavel Bermondt-Avalov – at the Battle of Riga in 1919 during the Latvian War of Independence. A popular Lāčplēsis Day tradition since 1988 is placing candles on and by the wall of Riga Castle. The name of the memorial day is related to Order of Lāčplēsis, which in turn is named for the protagonist of the Latvian national epic, Lāčplēsis.