**3. Festivities as an indicator of sociocultural adaptations**

Celebrating festivities is an integral part of young people's life; therefore, interviewees willingly talked about the festivities they usually celebrate and the way it is done. Due to the fact that the fieldwork was carried out during the last months of the year, young people first mentioned Christmas and the New Year.

#### **3.1 Festivities of religious origin**

As a result of cultural interaction, families of the interviewed youth celebrate "both Finnish and Russian festivities" (Anna, female, 20 years old, student, November 17, 2021.). However, young people drew a clear line between Russian and Western culture during interviews: "Question: What festivities does your family celebrate? Answer: It is the Russian festivities that we celebrate, we also celebrate Western festivities" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). Differences between the Gregorian and Julian calendars dominated in separation of Russian culture from European culture. "In Finland Christmas is on December 25 unlike in [Russian] Orthodoxy [on January 7]" (Veronika, female, 19 years old, school student, October 14, 2021). Russian immigrant groups make a clear distinction between Russian and Finnish cultural traditions; for example, young people said during interviews that their group attends "their [Finnish] Christmas [celebration]" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021) and that December 25 is "their [Finnish] Christmas, their *Joulu*" (Alisa, female, 19 years old, student, December 1, 2021). Moreover, mixed families also make a distinction between Christmas traditions: "Q: What kind of festivities do you celebrate at home? A: We celebrate the "Finnish" Christmas. Usually together with my dad's parents, that is, together with my grandma and grandpa from that side" (Lermontov, female, 23 years old, student, November 19, 2021). It is easier for mixed families to make their choice regarding the celebration of Christmas according to Finnish traditions, as "there's no Christmas in Russia, there's only the New Year" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021). This view reflects young people's understanding that the same festivities are celebrated differently and with varying degrees of intensity in different cultures.

As to the celebration of "Finnish" Christmas, it was emphasised in one case that it was the "most favourite festivity" of the interviewee's family (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021), but in another case, it was added that "["Finnish"] Christmas is important for us, but we don't celebrate it every year" (Karla, female, 19 years old, student, November 19, 2021). Although young people have absorbed the Christmas traditions specific to Finnish culture, they do not always enjoy them: "Typical Finnish Christmas. The traditional Finnish food, we give gifts – the same things recur each year. All relatives arrive, we spend time together, go to sauna, eat the same food [year after year]" (Lola, female, 21 years old, student, December 14, 2021).

During interviews, Christmas celebration on December 25 was described as an informed choice: "After our arrival in Finland we, for some reason, decided to celebrate Christmas, although many Russian families that have arrived in Finland or were born here, they celebrate the New Year. But it is Christmas that we celebrate" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021). Interviewees attributed the celebration of Christmas on December 25 to belonging to Finland. This came to light when young people talked about their future plans, that is, what kind of festivities they would like to celebrate in their own families: "I'd love to continue the Christmas

tradition, since I believe that if we live in Finland, it is important to celebrate Finnish festivities. Other children will talk about Christmas but if we don't have Christmas, it will be very sad, I think. Therefore, Christmas in my own family will be a family festivity with gifts" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

According to the Russian youth living in Finland, Christmas has no religious value. Interviewees did not refer to the religious attributes of this festivity, and they did not mention attending church. As a result of cultural interaction, Russian families have adopted the Christmas celebration elements that are typical of Finnish culture. It should be made clear that gifts are not given at Christmas in Russia and that Christmas is celebrated in church rather than in the family circle. By contrast, Russian youth in Finland try to find a sense of family even in the event of the divorce of parents. "I celebrate in my family. I usually spend half a day together with my father, at best, but as evening approaches I go to my mum and celebrate together with her family" (Lola, female, 21 years old, student, December 14, 2021). It should be emphasised that group events at Christmas organised by the Russian community are complemented by elements of Finnish culture: "Q: What did you celebrate yesterday? A: We celebrated Christmas. We prepared a programme, we had porridge and different cakes, and tea, coffee. We just sat together, ate and drank, then we had a quiz, one member of the group even sang for us. Then everyone bought gifts for each other and distributed them. Q: What kind of songs did she sing? A: Some kind of Finish Christmas songs" (Karla, female, 19 years old, student, November 19, 2021).

According to the interview data, in the case of Christmas, elements of Russian culture are gradually replaced by elements of the Finnish traditional culture. An interviewee said, "in my childhood *Ded Moroz* [Grandfather Frost] usually came and gave gifts to children. Since we don't have children for the time being, I and my wife, we don't need *Ded Moroz*. Later on, when we have children, we'll have to sustain this culture, as it is said that *Ded Moroz* comes from Finland, from Lapland. He is known as *Joulupukki*, that Santa" (Bil, male, 34 years old, ITC specialist, December 12, 2021).

Unlike Christmas, interviewees referred to church in relation to Easter without mentioning the religious significance of this festivity. Young people talked about "Russian Easter", meaning celebrations according to the Julian calendar. The interviewee emphasised that it is only the "Russian Easter" that his family celebrates: "We have the Orthodox Church therefore we celebrate Easter. We somehow don't celebrate Finnish Easter, but when Easter is celebrated in Finland and people have holidays, it is clear that we stay at home" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). The interviewee, by making a distinction between Orthodoxy as a Russian denomination and Lutheranism as a Finnish denomination, has not taken account of the fact that a significant part of Finnish people are Orthodox believers, and the Finnish Orthodox Church celebrates its festivals according to the Gregorian calendar. Data of another interview suggest that Russian immigrants consider the calendar a dividing line between Orthodoxy and Protestantism; therefore, the family celebrates both "Russian" and "Finnish" Easter. "Q: What festivities does your family celebrate? A: We celebrate Easter two times: Orthodox Easter and Finnish Lutheran Easter. Q: Why two times? A: My parents are believers, and it is important for them to celebrate "Russian" [Easter], but since we live in Finland, we also celebrate "Finnish" [Easter]" (Veronika, female, 19 years old, school student, October 14, 2021).

As to the Easter traditions practised in the family, it was said: "Well, we don't do anything special at Easter" (Lola, female, 21 years old, student, December 14, 2021). Interviewees mentioned making *paskha* and dying eggs as the main Easter attributes (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). These traditions have

not been preserved by all Russian immigrant families (Veronika, female, 19 years old, school student, October 14, 2021).

According to the interviewees, Easter in Finland is a syncretic festival – "a very mixed culture having a little bit of everything" (Alisa, female, 19 years old, student, December 1, 2021). Russian youth have identified the traditional Finnish culture elements characteristic of Easter and talked about them positively: "At Easter, children here [in Finland] wear costumes, collect sweets. Easter costumes: somebody dresses up as a rabbit, somebody is a girl with freckles, red cheeks and a braid. It is a common thing here, it is the good *noita*, a witch, but with freckles, a neckerchief, very brightly dressed. Most probably, this costume is easiest to make. With freckles and a braid. My mum always dressed me up like this" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

#### **3.2 Festivities of traditional culture**

*Juhannus*, the summer solstice, stands out in the Finnish festivity culture. It is actively celebrated, and this has been observed by the Russian youth living in Finland. An interviewee, when describing solstice celebration in Finland, pointed to the individualism inherent in Finnish mentality: "[..] *Juhannus*, we have this festival, then they [Finns] celebrate wholeheartedly, and even then [only] together with the family. They always celebrate by themselves" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). A bonfire, staying awake all night, alcohol and fun were mentioned as attributes of summer solstice: "There is usually a large bonfire, and… bonfires are made in all cities, in all possible places, people don't sleep and just drink a lot. Nobody sleeps. Everybody is having fun" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

In the case of the summer solstice, it was evident that the Russian youth were open to the host country's festive culture, but at the same time, these young people remained faithful to their heritage culture. "We celebrate Finnish festivities in summer. We also celebrate Russian festivities. It is sort of our tradition" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). Russian young people have celebrated the summer solstice together with relatives of their own age and have gained new experience: "Over the past two years, I was part of my sisters' company, that is, together with their [Russian-speaking] friends, I had fun together with my sisters throughout the night. We just sat, had fun, welcomed the dawn… Very peacefully. Having fun, peacefully, keeping an eye on the bonfire. I didn't celebrate [the summer solstice] before" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021). Young people did not talk about other traditions related to the celebration of *Juhannus*, thus implying that they are not familiar with these traditions: "Q: What is the traditional food of this festivity? A: There is no such food, I think. No such food. None" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

Russian immigrant groups do not organise a joint celebration of the summer solstice. On the one hand, this could be explained by the vacation period that makes it difficult to organise group events. On the other hand, this points to the desire of the Russian community to preserve, first and foremost, its traditional culture, for instance, by organising the celebration of Maslenica. Speaking about Maslenica and the related activities, the group leader emphasised the openness of the Finns: "Even Finns look forward to it [Maslenica]" (Veronika, female, 55 years old, school student, October 11, 2021). The local government has allowed the group to organise this celebration in the city square, sports stadium or at a course for skiing. This illustrates

### *Acculturation Orientations among Russian Youth in Finland DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110303*

both the scope of the event and the enthusiastic response of Russian immigrants and the Finnish community. When describing the celebration, the group leader pointed to the particularly fascinating atmosphere of Maslenica: "We make it loud, cheerful, with music and [folk] dances on the street, with the obligatory pancakes and different bright elements" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). Such an extensive celebration requires financial support, and the group has often encountered obstacles, but it has always coped with them: "When we are very short of money, we, for example, cannot invite anybody, organise a musical show, then we organise just an open sports day, but it is still Maslenica" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). The interview data suggest that it is the Russian traditional culture that makes the local community of the host country interested in it and creates a favourable environment for intercultural dialogue.
