The Latvian Parliament eliminated the Soviet Revolution Day and Constitution Day holidays Wednesday and declared that Easter, Christmas and Latvian independence day will be celebrated instead.
The bill on holidays also creates a "communist terror victims day" in the republic, which declared its independence from the Soviet Union in May.A Parliament faction of deputies representing minority Russian-speaking areas in Latvia walked out before the vote. The bill passed by a 115-1 vote with five abstentions.
In addition to eliminating the Nov. 7 holiday marking the Bolshevik Revolution and Oct. 7 Soviet Constitution Day, Latvia will also drop International Women's Day as a holiday, marking Mother's Day instead, and change the name of the May 9 Victory Day to World War II Victims Day.