During the meeting with the staff of the House of traditions, President of Latvia praised their efforts in preserving traditions and the fact that there are places in Latvia that continue to nurture local history, culture and ethnographic traditions, as well as continuing to pass the wisdom and skills from generation to generation. ‘It is important to not only preserve the heritage; these traditions need to be practiced and passed down. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the passion with which Rucava continues to enrich its special cultural environment,’ said President Levits.
Egils Levits had an opportunity to take part in the traditional whisking of the Rucava white butter, which has been inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, as well as learning more about local peculiarities of national costumes, songs and other folk traditions.
Egils Levits then met with the pupils and the local community of Nīca and Rucava. During the meeting he said: ‘Nīca is a really significant region of Latvia. It has its own unique culture that is not only rooted in history but also enriched and strengthened today. Without Nīca, Rucava and Bārta, Latvian culture would not have survived. You have kept most of the ancient traditions to this day, very few places in Latvia and Europe can boast that. That is what makes Nīca and the whole area a very special place for Europe. I would be happy to see you keep up the good job. All nations need their identity, something to associate yourself with. You can feel this special culture here - the sense of belonging that you instil in others through your lifestyle. Active and supporting inhabitants of Nīca make this place a living history, making Nīca one of the biggest cities of national magnitude.’
President of Latvia and residents of Nīca also discussed various issues pertaining to regional reform and members of the local community shared their views on what is happening in Nīca, Kurzeme and Latvia.
