2024 Latvia €2 Coin Issue - Puzuris

• Mint: Royal Dutch Mint
• Denomination: €2
• Quality: UNC/BU
• Issue limit: 400,000/7,000
• Alloy: Base Metal
• Diameter: 25.75 mm
• Weight: 8.5 grams
• Edge lettering: DIEVS SVĒTĪ LATVIJU (GOD BLESS LATVIA)
• Design: Ieva Krūmiņa/Luc Luycx
• UNC coin delivered in plastic baggie
• BU coin delivered in blister and printed card

Additional Information

Please click here for the official web page in English!

Puzuris is one of the oldest known Winter Solstice decorations in Latvia, and is known by many names across its regions. In different areas of Latvia, they are also called lukturi, krīģi, spurguļi; and other Scandinavian and Northern European countries call them himmeli – from both Swedish and German himmel (sky, heaven).

Traditionally made from hollow straw, a puzuris is made from twelve segments, possibly representing the twelve months of the year. It hangs from the ceiling suspended only by a thin thread, and both visually and symbolically represents the world and "wholeness". Crafted from very light materials, it sways at the slightest breath of wind with a constant slow movement that is believed to scare away evil spirits.

Puzuri were used to adorn rooms for weddings and baby blessing rites. Used as an ornament at a wedding, it symbolized the fertility and harmony of the newlyweds, whereas at a baby blessing rite, its swaying movements promised health and prosperity to the newborn.

As with Native American dream catchers, they should be aired every so often, and burned in the New Year's bonfire to guarantee a year free from evil spirits.