Section Sociology and Healthcare A FESTIVITY CALENDAR: TRANSFORMATIONS AND STATE POWER IN LATVIA Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jelena Korolova Researcher, Dr. Zans Badins Researcher, Dr. Ilze Kacane Researcher, Dr. Ilona Laha Researcher, Dr. Alina Romanovska Daugavpils University, Latvia ABSTRACT Festivities, national and public holidays have to be regarded as the antithesis of everyday life, they may be considered a universal phenomenon of cultureand human existence. The growing interest in the festivity phenornenon is directly linked with the extensive changes occurring in the culture of the last threedecades. During a transition period in human life and society when social structuresgrow weaker or are transforming, festivitiescarry a special functionalload. By reflectingthe changes in sociallandmarks, a festivity creates a culturalsetting for value-normative regulators of social behavior. The contemporary youth, who were already born in the time of independent Latvia,typically havea different World outlookwhich is almost freeof the ideological ideas of Soviettimes and is much closer to the cultureof Western Europe and America. This paper is concerned with the research on the transformations in Latvia's calendar caused by the change and influence of thepower. State ceremonialism in general and specific ceremonial practices suchas celebration of international days andpublic national holidays in particular e.x-press not only the relationship between the state and society but also theideologica!power. In thisrespect theritualized 'dialogism' between state andpeople is related to the 'aesthetics of power'based on the concept of carnival suitable fu approaching the masses andto the concept of memory, preserving the ancestor's values, andsurvival in general. Keywords: calendar, statepower, festivities,social behaviour, ceremonial practices, Latvta INTRODUCTION Any calendar to some extent reveals the ideological ideasof the ruling state power; transformations in the calendar indicate the change of state accepted development and ideology. In human's life festivities occupy oneof the central places, andfor this reason festivitycalendar is an indispensable partof human's life. All nations without exception have festivities at all stages of their development. Festivitiesmay be considered a universal phenomenon of culture and human existence. The growing interestin the phenomenon of festivity is directly related to the ongoing considerable changes -occurring in the cultureduring the recent threedecades. In the transition periodwhen social structures grow weaker or aretransforming, festivities carrya specific functional 273