<p style="text-align: center;">If a black grouse rumbles in winter, it means either blizzard or thaw.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Winter is the longest season in Latvia. First snow can happen already in October and the last one can melt only in April. This has a big impact not only physically but also psychologically and people have to find the ways how to adjust and cope with it. People in this area still are very close to nature and also knowledge about old pagan beliefs are high. They are superstitious. There is no permanent snow cover in couple of past years, immediately after blizzard come thaw. But still people are longing for spring. <br /><br />Winter traditionally was time for masking. This tradition was common in Latvia at the beginning of 20th century. Nowadays it almost has disappeared because of lifestyle changes. <br /><br /> Ticējumi are part of Latvian folklore- sayings and beliefs which predict future and explain things. Ticējumi were inspiration for this project.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">If sparkling ice flakes are seen in the snow in winter, they are said to be a witch’s bones.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">When a lake howls in winter, someone is to drown.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">If wolves go howling around houses in winter, there will be war.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">The one who can run naked to the forest and back on New Year’s night will live nine lifetimes of a man.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">If a sleigh is not turned upside down on Christmas Night, it spends the night running around.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">If the winter is cold, one must count twelve bald people, and then the weather will turn warm.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">During Metenis festival children are put into sacks and thrown in the snow over a fence so they would sleep until spring and would not have to be fed.</p>