RIGA, June 19 (LETA) - According to a survey conducted by the research company Fifty5Blue, Latvians most often grill meat, light bonfires, and eat Janu cheese with carraway seeds during Midsummer celebrations.

As Ingrida Libora, a representative of Fifty5Blue, told LETA news agency, the results show that 57 percent of respondents grill meat during the holidays, 51 percent light bonfires, and 41 percent make or eat Janu cheese. Similarly, 34 percent of residents sing or listen to Midsummer songs during the festivities, 30 percent drink or brew beer, and another 30 percent congratulate people named Liga and Janis.

Meanwhile, 28 percent of respondents indicated that they make flower or oak tree branch wreaths during the holiday, 26 percent buy or pick Midsummer herbs, 25 percent of residents emphasized that they drink kvass, while another 24 percent wait for the sunrise.

On Midsummer, 21 percent of survey participants attend festive events, 19 percent decorate their homes with maypoles, birch branches, and flowers, 16 percent bake meat buns, 16 percent burn the previous year’s wreath in the bonfire, and another 13 percent of residents indicated that they jump over the bonfire.

Similarly, about one-tenth, or 12 percent, of residents weed their gardens before Midsummer, while another 11 percent emphasized that they dance or play games during the festivities. Six percent of respondents go looking for "fern flowers" during the festival, 5 percent go swimming at midnight or in the morning, and 3 percent of survey participants indicated that they wear traditional folk costumes. Another 3 percent of residents throw a wreath into a river or onto an oak tree, another 3 percent bathe in the morning dew, and 1 percent tell fortunes or do something else.

Just 5 percent of residents indicated that they do not celebrate this holiday, and another 9 percent stated that they do not follow any Midsummer traditions.

The survey also shows that men drink or brew beer relatively more often than women. Women, on the other hand, make flower wreaths, sing, listen to Midsummer songs, wish Liga and Janis a happy Name's Day, buy or pick Midsummer herbs, attend festive events, burn the previous year’s wreaths, bake buns, and weed their gardens before the holiday.

When examining the study’s results by age group, it was concluded that the most active Midsummer celebrants are young people aged 18 to 24. Young people are relatively more likely than members of other age groups to make flower wreaths, sing, listen to Midsummer songs, and dance and play games. Young people, as well as residents aged 25 to 34, are more likely to wait for the sunrise and drink kvass.

People aged 25 to 34 are more likely to grill barbecue, while those aged 45 to 54 are more likely to weed their gardens in preparation for the holiday.

The survey results also show that people living in rural areas are more likely than urban residents to observe various festive traditions.

The survey was conducted by the research company Fifty5Blue from June 10 to June 11, surveying 800 Latvian residents aged 18 to 65 via the internet throughout Latvia.

Fifty5Blue online survey is representative of the general population of Latvia aged 18 to 65.

Fifty5Blue previously operated under the Kantar brand and is a leading research and consulting company in Latvia. Fifty5Blue is one of the world’s largest research companies, with experts in more than 80 countries worldwide.