A Special Invitation: Lieldienas 2026
We want you and your family to be part of this story! Lieldienas is not an exclusive event; it is a gift from our ancestors' culture to everyone living in Nova Odessa and neighboring towns.
📅 DATE
March 28, 2026
Saturday • Starting at 10 AM
📍 LOCATION
CCLNO headquarters
Rua Terezinha Alves de Souza, 99
Jd. Altos do Klavin, Nova Odessa/SP
Bring the kids, invite the grandparents and come spend a morning of discovery, learning and lots of joy. Here, everyone is welcome to celebrate the awakening of life.
📲 Stay up to date on sign-ups and details: @centroculturalleto | cclno.org
What is Lieldienas?
Lieldienas is the Latvian celebration of the spring equinox — the moment of the year when day and night are exactly the same length. While in Brazil this period coincides with the start of autumn, in Latvia it marks nature's awakening after the long winter: the first buds, the flowers, the light overtaking the darkness once again.
The name Lieldienas comes from Latvian and can be translated as "the great day" or "the big days" — a reference to the arrival of longer daylight hours. It is one of the four most important celebrations in the traditional Latvian calendar, alongside Christmas (Ziemassvētki), St. John's Day (Jāņi, the summer solstice) and Michaelmas (Miķeļi, the autumn harvest).
🌸 Lieldienas Traditions
- 🌅 Waking up before dawn to watch the sunrise
- 🌿 Gathering flowers and leaves from the fields to dye eggs naturally
- 🥚 Dyeing eggs with natural materials such as onion skins and herbs
- 🎯 Playing traditional games — the contest to find out which egg is toughest
- 🏃 The egg race to see whose egg rolls the farthest
Every dyed egg is unique, like a small work of art born from nature.
Lieldienas in Nova Odessa — Our History
2016 — The First Gathering
The first public celebration of Lieldienas in Nova Odessa took place on March 19, 2016, bringing together around 70 people at Liliana Minka's home. At that gathering, participants learned about the traditions of Latvian Easter, took part in its practices and ended the day singing Latvian folk songs. It was the start of a tradition that would go on to grow.
2023 — Roots and Games
In April 2023, Lieldienas took on a format designed especially for children and their families. The activity began with an exploration of the Cultural Center's grounds: each participant went out to gather leaves, flowers and grasses that would later be used to dye the eggs naturally.
Wrapped in gauze with onion skins before being boiled, the eggs came out of the pot with abstract, one-of-a-kind patterns, like marks left by nature itself. Then came the fun part: the egg battle and the egg race. The winners were awarded books, combining culture, play and a love of reading.
2025 — Passed Down Through Generations
On Saturday, April 12, 2025, the Latvian Cultural Center once again gathered around the Lieldienas traditions. The activity was led by Renate, who opened the gathering in a circle, sharing with participants the origins of the celebration: the ancestral observation of the equinox, the return of the light, nature's rebirth.
Children and their families were invited to gather flowers, leaves and small branches from the Cultural Center's own garden. With these materials in hand, they began preparing the eggs: leaves and flowers glued to the shell, held in place with gauze, then dyed with purple onion skins and red cabbage dissolved in hot water. Every egg turned out unique.
The traditional games were a hit: the egg battle and the race down the wooden ramp drew cheers, laughter and an almost tied finish. The winners received books donated by librarian Elaine Regina Donadel.
What Happens at Lieldienas 2026?
Garden Gathering
Explore CCLNO's garden and collect flowers, leaves and branches to decorate your eggs.
Natural Dyeing
Learn to dye eggs using onion skins, red cabbage and other 100% natural materials.
Egg Battle
Challenge other participants in the traditional battle: which egg is toughest?
Egg Race
Let your egg go down the ramp and see whose rolls the farthest across the lawn!
Storytelling
Listen to stories about the origins of the celebration and the meaning of the equinox.
Family Togetherness
A welcoming space for all ages to share tradition and learning.
💡 You don't need to be Latvian. You don't need to know the tradition. All you need is the desire to connect — with nature, with history and with the people around you.
Lieldienas Moments
See how previous celebrations looked
Come Celebrate With Us!
March 28, 2026 — A morning of connection with nature, tradition and community.
Rua Terezinha Alves de Souza, 99 — Jd. Altos do Klavin, Nova Odessa/SP
Culture is for everyone.