More than a century since its first performance in St. Petersburg, "The Nutcracker" is still a popular holiday classic.

RIGA — January after the holidays is nobody’s favorite time of year, especially in the Baltic states.

The weather’s frigid, the sky is cloudy and unless you’re an American football fan there’s not much to look forward to until Valentine’s Day. The stockpile of leftovers from holiday feasts has been used up and soon the Christmas decorations will be taken down, but there’s one more seasonal staple to enjoy as the month drags on.

Few things encapsulate Christmas like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” The instantly recognizable melodies offer a stately counterpoint to the kitschy holiday pop music you hear on oldies stations and in malls. The skill needed for the ballet dancing is hard not to appreciate, and the bizarre story of battling mice and the Land of Sweets has beguiled children and adults since its 1892 premiere.

That first performance was in St. Petersburg, and given the ballet’s worldwide popularity it’s no surprise that it’s regularly performed in the winter months further south on the Baltic coast. This month, the Latvian National Opera will hold several performances of its well-regarded production of “The Nutcracker.”

The series of five performances starts Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. and and follows with shows at noon Jan. 10,  7 p.m. Jan. 15, noon and 7 p.m. Jan. 24. Two additional shows in February will also be held. Ticket prices range from 2.50 to 12 lats (€3.52 to €16.91). To book tickets visit the opera house’s website here.

Meanwhile ballet fans in Vilnius can also enjoy a one-off performance of “The Nutcracker” at the Lithuanian National Opera & Ballet Theatre at noon on Jan. 24. Tickets range from eight to 90 litai (€2.30 to €26) and can be booked here.