Abstract:

Such values of cultural heritage as traditional and religious festivities, including rituals of their celebration and patterns of behaviour, are impacted by social and political contexts and may undergo significant transformations in the result of the change of the power and cultural shifts. The research examines visual and narrative representation of Christmas in textbooks in Latvian studies for the learners of basic schools published in Latvia after the country regained its independence in 1991 when the process of reflecting on the past, as well as restoration and re-invention of the cultural values and traditions, including festivities, forbidden in the Soviet era, was actively initiated. Revising textbooks to reflect national history, as well as ancestral understanding and knowledge of culture rather than that of the colonizers was one of the aims of the restored national state oriented towards the younger generation in both Latvian and Russian-speaking schools. The study concludes that the textbooks’ narrative and visual content included in the framework of national identity promote Latvian folklore, traditional values and customs: Christmas is introduced to learners as a family festivity that ensures cultural continuity of traditions. Textbooks’ discourse familiarizes the learners with the works of Latvian writers and poets ensuring young learners’ cultural education and cultural literacy, as well as fostering their national identity. The research is based on discourse analysis, content analysis and semiotic analysis.

Keywords:

Textbooks, cultural values, de-sovietization, cultural education, cultural literacy.