Latvia · Puzuris (straw decoration)

In the Latvian cultural sphere, the decoration is known by the name *puzuris*, plural *puzuri*. The word “Himmeli” originates in the Nordic region and is now often used as a general term for similar straw constructions. Comparable forms are found mainly in Northern and Eastern Europe, but differ regionally in structure, designation and custom.

Puzuri are part of Latvia’s rural festive culture. They were made from dried grain straw or reeds and hung from the ceiling of a room. Air movements caused them to rotate slowly, so that their appearance and the shadows they cast constantly changed. In addition to individual basic forms, larger constructions composed of several geometric elements were also made. Their production required evenly cut stalks, which were connected with threads to form a stable structure.

The custom is connected with the Latvian seasonal cycle. Christian traditions overlap with older rural customs in celebrations of the winter solstice and Christmas. The straw used also represented a connection to the harvest that had passed. Puzuri were therefore understood not only as room decorations, but were also associated with ideas of fertility, protection, order and the progression of the year. However, such interpretations were neither uniform everywhere nor strictly defined. Straw decorations could also be used at other family and seasonal celebrations.

The coin commemorates neither an individual person nor a specific historical event. Rather, it focuses on a craft tradition and intangible heritage. The design combines traditional festive customs with the geometric formal language of Latvian folk art. This choice allows Latvia to depict on a circulating coin a cultural heritage that is not tied to a monument or a political anniversary, but continues to exist through its renewed production and transmission.