The proposal was submitted by Unity and National Alliance parties and supported by 72 MPs in the first reading.
Several MPs nevertheless argued that May 1 - the International Workers' Day or Labor Day - should be struck off from the list of national holidays to compensate for the step.
Indeed, MP Kārlis Seržants (Greens and Farmers Union) ventured to say that "I think only Latvians are capable for this, to call a specific date the Labor Day but instead of working studiously we are making it a holiday."
That is not true, as Labor Day is a public holiday across most of Europe.
Another MP from the same party, Valters Dambe said that according to Economics Ministry estimates adding another holiday would cost Latvia more than €8 million a year.
