After spending two days on the road, battling the Latvian mosquito population, I’ve spent the last five days admitting defeat. I’ve been scratching my ankles, I’ve been scratching my chin, I’ve been scratching pretty much everywhere in between, including a particularly fetching little hillock on my arse.
Having spent the best part of a week asking pitifully whining ‘Why me?’, I’ve finally stopped itching enough to figure out the answer. A few months ago, my students told me Latvians believe that if you swing at Easter, it helps ward off mosquitoes during the summer. Well, let me tell you, my eyebrows shot up, my heartbeat quickened – finally, a Latvian tradition I could get on board with.
Clearly, in my excitement, I had forgotten which country I live in. This is Latvia, remember, land of dashed hopes. And this time wouldn’t be any different. Of course, they were talking about this kind of swinging…
Swinging – Latvian style
And so, disappointed yet again, I pooh-poohed the tradition, scoffed in the face of swinging. But now, 4 zillion mosquito bites later, I’m not so sure.
Maybe there is something to this swinging lark after all? Perhaps a few splinters in the arse at Easter is preferable to scratching it for 3 months during the summer? And so, my dear Latvians, next Easter please be gentle with me, for I will be…the newest swinger in town.
Expat Eye on Latvia 
how is the weather over there now? do i need any coat for summer nights, or stocking under the skirt? 🙂 (almost) all packed, here i come Riga! :)))
Hurrah! The weather is pretty good but a bit showery at the moment. Should be hotter by the end of the week. I don’t think tights are necessary but you might want to bring a cardigan or light jacket for the evenings alright! And an umbrella just in case! Happy packing!
Hmm, and how about the copyrights with my picture? Can’t remember agreeing to show it there…
Is that you on the swing?! Sorry, I can’t remember where I got it from but I can take it down!
We live in the deep south in the US, where mosquitos fly in squadrons, and have bloody marys for happy hour. I’ve never tried swinging, but if you want to try some good old petrochems that work, it’s all about repellents with DEET. It doesn’t always smell great, but mozzies hate it. ~James
Thanks for the tip! It will save me finding a swing next Easter!
My my, they definitely have some interesting theories/traditions in Latvia! 🙂
Tell me about it!
for a brief moment just after reading the title of this entry I’ve thought you’ve discovered and joined some dancing classes and got all exited, only to learn soon after that your interpretation was way more exiting 😀 Not sure if Latvian version of swinging is of any help against ’em mosquito, but am sure willing to try anything by now. Though I’m local and should have this thick and mosquito proof hide, for some reason am not, and with every year passing my skin seemingly gets thinner and thinner and their bites get more itchy and painful. Since just a few years ago all those bites were indeed just like nothing, I’ve developed this conspiracy theory, that companies producing bug-repellents had experimented with all those nasty mosquito, and in result they’ve become more evil, and what is even worse these uber-mosquito managed to escape lab facilities and are now taking over those tame-like old sort of biters, and that’s why it hurts so much these days. On the other hand, these uber-mosquito are like nothing if compared to ants – you just get a nasty itch for half of the week, while recently I’ve developed such a nasty allergy to ant bites, that every time I get bit by them the bitten part swells so much, you’d think it’s something much worse than just a simple bite 😦
This made me laugh! You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into this conspiracy theory! I definitely agree that the little critters are much more vicious than they used to be!
well, since instead of a mild itch for an hour or two I now get a week long itchy sore there’s plenty of time to dwell on conspiracies while you scratch or try not to scratch when things get out of control 😉
Thankfully mine have just about disappeared now – until the next time at least!!
“Swing” in summer and keep mosquitoes away?? This is the silliest “tradition” I’ve every heard of!
Wonder what other manifestations this tradition could have? Swing in Winters and Cure cancer. Swing in Autumn and cure homosexuality. Swing in Spring and go to Outer Space….. there’s no end to this kind of swinging.
But here’s something weird but True (I think I saw it on BBC). Sometime ago I heard of a FM radio station in the US that broadcasts certain high frequency signals along with music that are inaudible to human ear but extremely distressing to mosquotoes.
Which means while you got that radio playing music–even outdoors–mosquitoes will stay away!
What a great idea! And stop with your swinging cures – you’ll just give the Latvians ideas!! 😉
Pfff.. Any normal latvian has skin thick enough not to care about what westerners think about us and even mosquitos. For you, thin-skinned fragile civilized people we have this: http://www.webaptieka.lv/lv/product/psilo-balsam-1-gels-20g-gels-arigai-lietosanai-niezes-apgegumu-un-apsartuma-mazinasanai
No idea what a ganglion is but thanks for that!
How funny! I hadn’t seen this post before I left a comment complaining about mosquitoes on your other post! I’m a married lady so your first definition of “swinging” wouldn’t have helped me. Pity you 😦 Mosquitoes are horrible things and they leave big, itchy welts on me too. Where I live, they are practically year-round. Hard freezes just slow them down (although at least then I can kill them before they get me). I’ve heard some say that putting a bit of bleach on the bite can ease the itch a bit, but I can’t stand the smell. I am absolutely no fun to be around when I’m bitten up. My heart goes out to you 🙂
They’ve pretty much gone down now! Apart from the swinging (which the Dutchman has forbidden me from 😉 ) Latvians also suggest rubbing a lemon on yourself – haven’t tried that one yet!
tee tree oil is best for easing the itch… and natural too… free from parabens, no artificial colours and other bad stuff…
Tea tree oil? I think I can get that at my local health food store. I’ll try it … I’ll try anything 🙂
Glad you ladies are getting along! You should listen to the Latvians on this one – they have natural cures for everything!
I love swinging… but I can’t fit onto any of the swing sets 😦 Less cake, maybe…
Getting that way myself. With the wine and the cakes, it’s all going a bit pear-shaped – literally 😉
Am turning into a muffin, myself…
At least I’ve still got one of my 5 daily fruit and veg portions then. Unless you’re a blueberry muffin that is… 😉
Any kind of muffin will do…chocolate is a fruit, in my book.
I’d buy that book!
I’ll put your name on the dedication page, if you like
Oooh, eulogies, dedications… you’re really spoiling me!
OK, before it all goes to your head, let’s make it a footnote instead.
That’s better. Back in my place again!
I hope you miss Irish midges 😀 Sometimes I can`t figure out: witch one is worst 😀
I don’t really remember mosquitoes in Ireland that much! I think it’s usually too cold for them! But then, I’ve been away for a long time!
I love a good swing once in a while 😉
Don’t we all!