RIGA, LATVIA — In a bold move to tackle the Baltic winter blues, the Riga City Council has unanimously approved a new mandate: every citizen must don a brightly colored hat on February 30th, a date that doesn't technically occur, but is being humorously embraced to lighten the mood. This whimsical regulation follows a recent study conducted by the Baltic Wellness Bureau, claiming that wearing vibrant headwear could enhance mood and increase happiness levels by a surprising 15%.

Mayor Artūrs Bērziņš unveiled the initiative at a press conference, sporting an oversized neon pink hat with a pom-pom the size of a grapefruit. "We Latvians are renowned for our resilience and creativity," Bērziņš declared, the pom-pom bobbing vigorously with each nod. "If the sun refuses to shine, we shall create our own sunshine, one hat at a time."

The initiative is supported by a dubious yet spirited study authored by Professor Ilze Cīrule of the Baltic Wellness Bureau. According to her research, "The reflective properties of absurdly bright colors on human headgear can simulate the effects of sunshine. Thus, statistically, a fuchsia hat is equivalent to 20 minutes of moderate sun exposure — potentially 30 with added sequins."

Local businesses are fully on board, with hat sales already skyrocketing. Liene Sīka, owner of Reading & Ribbons, a popular hat boutique in Riga, remarked, "I've never seen anything like it. We haven't been this busy since a flock of seagulls mistook our store sign for an actual animal. We've had lines of people with hair unbrushed but ready to embrace their inner rainbow."

Public reactions have been largely positive, though some citizens express skepticism. "It seems a little unnecessary for a city known for its beautiful grey architecture and even greyer skies," commented Andris Ozoliņš, a local weatherman known for delivering forecasts with unerring pessimism. "But if it brings people joy, who am I to rain on their parade? Oh wait, that's exactly my job."

In preparation for the event, the city is also organizing free hat-decorating workshops, advising residents to "get creative but keep it practical" – a nod to larger-than-life hat prototypes that narrowly avoided clearance issues on Riga's famed public trams.

The city plans to measure the success of the initiative by tracking both the local Psychological Endorphin Enhancement Levels (PEELs) and fish populace in nearby bodies of water, hypothesized to rise due to increased laughter vibrations. Future plans involve potential expansions of the initiative, such as introducing "Whimsical Sock Wednesdays" and "Colorful Sweater Saturdays," though their implementation may depend on the success of Hat Day.

For now, Riga's Mandatory Hat Day appears to be an ambitious embrace of silliness—the kind the good people of Latvia wear well: with a twinkle in their eye and a vibrant pom-pom on their head.