To mark the 109th anniversary of the Christmas Battles and to honour the memory of the riflemen who fell in them, Jelgava Municipality invites the public to a series of events commemorating this historic occasion on 10 January 2026.

The day will begin with a commemoration ceremony at Antiņi Cemetery in Mārupe Municipality at 12.00, when those present are invited to lay flowers and remember the Latvian riflemen who fell in the Christmas Battles.

For those who would like to get moving, a Christmas Battles memorial volleyball tournament will be held at the Valgunde Parish sports hall from 10.00.

A broad programme of commemorative events is planned at the main venue – the Christmas Battles Museum at “Mangaļi” in Valgunde Parish. From 11.00 to 16.00 visitors will be able to enjoy tea brewed over an open fire to a riflemen's recipe, and from 12.00 to 16.00 an exhibition of Latvian Army weaponry and equipment will be on display. At 15.20, meanwhile, the solemn Young Guard oath will take place on the museum grounds – a special moment symbolising the younger generations' determination to carry on the values of our nation – while at 15.40 the oath-taking ceremony of the National Guard's 52nd Combat Support Battalion is planned. At 16.00, honouring the courage of the Latvian soldiers who fell in the Christmas Battles, we will set off on a torchlight procession along the route from “Mangaļi” to Ložmetējkalns, where the day will close at 17.30 with a commemoration ceremony and a gathering around remembrance bonfires.

To make it easy to reach the venue and return home, on 10 January 2026 Jelgava Municipality will provide free transport from the Jelgava city cultural centre, which at 13.30 will first take passengers to “Mangaļi” and then on to Ložmetējkalns. In the evening, once the events have finished, passengers will be brought back from Ložmetējkalns to Jelgava via “Mangaļi”.

It should be remembered that wintry weather, which can be highly changeable, will dictate strict arrangements for how participants arrive at and leave the Christmas Battles commemoration venues. Please note that vehicle traffic will be one-way only.

https://www.jelgavasnovads.lv/lv/jaunums/ar-lapu-gajienu-piemines-ziemassvetku-kaujas-kritusos