Latvia snubs Orthodox Christmas as official holiday
RIGA. March 1. KAZINFORM The Latvian parliament on Thursday again rejected a bill vesting Orthodox Christmas with the status of an official holiday, the parliament's press service said.
According to the 2011 population census results on Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau website, about 670,000 people or almost one-third of Latvia's two-million population are ethnic Russians, Belarussians or Ukrainians, who traditionally are Orthodox believers.
The Latvian opposition has repeatedly submitted a proposal to make Orthodox Christmas celebrated on January 7 an official holiday, but all of them have been rejected by the parliament.
The issue was recently raised by Latvian President Andris Berzins, who said that he supports the move.
Source: RIA Novosti