Ziemassvētki
Latvian
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/19921121_10rub_Latvia_Postage_Stamp.jpg/180px-19921121_10rub_Latvia_Postage_Stamp.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/19921121_15rub_Latvia_Postage_Stamp.jpg/180px-19921121_15rub_Latvia_Postage_Stamp.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/19921121_3rub_Latvia_Postage_Stamp.jpg/180px-19921121_3rub_Latvia_Postage_Stamp.jpg)
Alternative forms
Etymology
From ziema (“winter”) + svētki (“feast, celebration”).
Pronunciation
Proper noun
Ziemassvētki m (1st declension)
- (Christianity) Christmas (holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ)
- Ziemassvētku laiks ― Christmas time
- Ziemassvētku vakars ― Christmas night
- Ziemassvētku egle, eglīte ― Christmas tree (lit. Christmas pine tree)
- Ziemassvētku vecītis ― Santa Claus (lit. Christmas' old man)
- (religion, Pre-Christian) old winter solstice celebration
- senie latvieši Ziemassvētkos svinēja nevis Kristus piedzimšanu, bet gan saules griešanos ― the pagan Latvians celebrate Winter Fest not because of the birth of Christ, but because of the turning of the sun (= winter solstice)
Declension
Declension of Ziemassvētki (1st declension)
singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | |
---|---|---|
nominative (nominatīvs) | — | Ziemassvētki |
accusative (akuzatīvs) | — | Ziemassvētkus |
genitive (ģenitīvs) | — | Ziemassvētku |
dative (datīvs) | — | Ziemassvētkiem |
instrumental (instrumentālis) | — | Ziemassvētkiem |
locative (lokatīvs) | — | Ziemassvētkos |
vocative (vokatīvs) | — | Ziemassvētki |