**3.3 Festivities of popular culture**

Halloween, having originated in the Irish traditional culture, has strengthened in the Western culture as a phenomenon of mass popular culture, and it is also present in Finland. It is an indicator of the contradictions in the Russian immigrant community. First, the attitude towards Halloween marks a dividing line between the host country's society and the Russian community in Finland. According to the group leader, Halloween reveals "wide divergences in cultural codes when the Russian cultural code is fundamentally different from the Finnish [code]. Then some kind of difficulties arise, especially when family traditions clash" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021).

Second, Halloween brings to light the diversity of views among Russian immigrants. The group leader, who organises Halloween events, explained that "a couple of people don't celebrate [Halloween], in principle, due to various religious considerations. And, look, the children of my group, for example, don't attend this celebration, although we prepared for it together" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021). The Russian youth take individual decisions regarding their participation in Halloween activities, even if the celebration is organised by the group. However, the dismissive attitude of Orthodox believers towards Halloween has not affected the relations between Russian immigrant groups. "A large share of the [Russian] diaspora attends church, they organise services in Russian here, and children also attend them. Look, they [children] will not come to celebrate Halloween, but they will participate in other events. [..] We are closely linked together, for example, we organise camps in their [Orthodox believers] base" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021).

The leader of another group has observed that "our young people actively engaged in Halloween celebration at one time. But they celebrated for two or three years and then ceased to do so" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). She could not explain why Russian youth living in Finland have lost interest in Halloween, but she saw it in a positive light: "We are glad. Such a festivity… it is not our festivity" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). According to the interview data, this festivity is not very popular in Finland; therefore, the younger generation of Russian immigrants does not actively engage in its celebration: "At Halloween [..] I never dressed up. That is, I arrived [at school] as usual. Somebody had dressed up awfully. But since half of the pupils didn't dress up, I somehow didn't notice this festivity, it somehow hasn't been successful. But there were attempts [to celebrate]" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

The New Year is at the heart of the Russian festivity culture; therefore, young people were particularly emotional when talking about this festivity. "I love the New Year, but I always feel that the New Year could be made more festive [*prazdnichnym*]. I think that my friends or their families usually don't consider it a very important festivity, but I have fun organising a big New Year celebration" (Lermontov, female, 23 years old, student, November 19, 2021). The statement that "both the Finnish and Russian" New Years are celebrated (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021) demonstrated the festivity celebration habits specific to Russian culture: "We are trying to celebrate a Russian-style New Year as far as it's possible" (Lermontov, female, 23 years old, student, November 19, 2021). Interviewees have noticed a significant difference in how this festivity is celebrated in Finnish and Russian cultures. "The Russian New Year – it's a great, more magnificent festivity [*bolshe prazdnichniy*]. It has more *fejerverk*, there is more of everything. But the Finnish [New Year] is much calmer, people just sit together for a while and then carry on doing their own things or do something together with their friends" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021).

Being aware of cultural differences, interviewees pointed to several elements which differentiate the New Year celebration typical of the Russian culture from the Finnish culture. First, the time when the New Year sets in was mentioned, as Finland and Russia are in different time zones. Therefore, the New Year is celebrated twice, that is, according to the Moscow time in the family circle and then according to the Finnish time outside the family. "Q: According to which time do you celebrate the New Year? A: First according to the Moscow time, I think, an hour earlier, but then according to the Finnish [time]. Q: What time do you fire petards on the street? A: Look, immediately when it's twelve o'clock according to the Finnish time, we raise our glasses and then we go out to the street, we watch fireworks, fire [petards]" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

Second, watching Russian TV programmes was mentioned as an element of the New Year celebration typical of Russian culture. It should be added that Russian young people living in Finland gradually distance themselves from watching these programmes. "Parents just have a tradition of listening to the speech made by [Russia's] president, always on the New Year eve" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). The attitude towards watching Russian TV marked a hidden conflict of generational values. "Q: Do you watch Russian TV on the New Year eve? A: Last year my mum switched it on, but then it was just on all the time [*krutilsa*], and we did something else… I wanted to listen to music or something like that. My mum decides, more or less, she says, look, let's switch on, watch them welcome the New Year in Moscow" (Lermontov, female, 23 years old, student, November 19, 2021).

Third, contrary to the political aspect of welcoming the New Year in which young people have little interest, the consumption of "cult" films produced by the Russian film industry at the turn of the year is willingly adopted: "I and my mum watched the "Irony of Fate"" (Lermontov, female, 23 years old, student, November 19, 2021).

Fourth, in cases where Christmas is not celebrated on December 25, the aspect of family spirit becomes more evident during the New Year celebration: "Q: Do you have guests on the New Year eve? A. No, it has always been just family celebration" (Alisa, female, 19 years old, student, December 1, 2021). Interviewees are pleased to welcome the New Year in the family circle: "I love very much to celebrate the New Year together with my family, at least partially, but the family has to be together. Of course, often that is simply not possible, as everybody has his/her own family and

it is impossible to bring everyone together. But we willingly celebrate the New Year together with those who can come" (Alisa, female, 19 years old, student, December 1, 2021). However, the family is not the only environment for welcoming the New Year, as young people admit that they "can entertain or do something else together with friends on the New Year eve… For example, go somewhere" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021). However, the family environment is exactly what young people long for; therefore, their memories were nostalgic: "Some time ago we celebrated the New Year together with granddad and granny in Petersburg. Then somebody visited us, but didn't stay long – just wished a happy New Year and left to go about his/her own business. Frankly, I miss those times when all our family was together: granny, granddad and guests who arrived and left. All this had a special atmosphere" (Alisa, female, 19 years old, student, December 1, 2021).

Fifth, welcoming the New Year according to the "old style" is an element differentiating the Russian festivity culture. Although people in Russia and the Russian diaspora often celebrate the New Year according to the Julian calendar as well, the interview data suggest that this habit is disappearing gradually in Russian families living in Finland. "Q: Have you heard about the "old New Year"? A: Well, I've heard, but we never celebrate it. When the "old New Year" is over, we remove decorations, the Christmas tree. It is another festivity when you can have a drink, celebrate again. It is a festivity for Russians, but we in Finland somehow never celebrate it" (Maria, female, 19 years old, student, December 10, 2021).

#### **3.4 Historical remembrance days**

May 9 stands out among the other remembrance days of Russia's history with its political and ideological character. The celebration of the end of World War II or the Victory Day on May 9 was introduced in 1965. The position adopted by the leaders of two groups is differing with regard to the continuation of this tradition in the Russian diaspora in Finland. The leader of one group underlined in particular that 9 May is "celebrated" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). By contrast, the leader of the other group was opposed to a targeted use of the Victory Day in Russia's ideology. She explained that the celebration of May 9 in Finland "is directly linked to the fact that Russians living here watch Russian TV and that the volume of propaganda crosses borders [*zashkalivayet*]. And parents, naturally, pass on their attitudes to their children" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021). As a result of the politisation of history in Russia, the celebration of May 9 has turned into a secular religion [28]. Being aware of the problem, the leader of the second group explained that she treats the Victory Day "with dignity and respect [*s pochteniyem, s trepetom*]" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021). However, the "exaggeration when children are dressed in uniforms of soldiers and required to do things adults do, which they [children] actually don't understand" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021) is not acceptable to her. Given that the objections to the celebration of the Victory Day may give rise to emotionally charged discussions in the community of Russians living in Finland, the group leader avoids expressing her position actively: "We sort of sidestep this topic. [..] We, rather, do it not because we have doubts, but we just don't want any tensions, we don't want any stress" (Olga, female, 52 years old, group leader, October 26, 2021).

The way that the supporters of the leader of the first group celebrate May 9 reveals a desire to find a balance between the use of the Victory Day for the purposes of

propaganda and paying tribute to those who lost their lives in World War II: "There is a place 80 kilometres from here where Soviet soldiers, who died in captivity, are supposedly buried. [..] This is our common place where we get together on 9 May. We clean it up, care for it, lay flowers, light candles, since memory is memory, whatever it is. This is a place where to come and think about the world free of it [war], about friendship among the neighbouring countries living side by side. They must make friends, since a war is the most terrible thing that can happen. [..] Buses full of people hit the road, it's just a place of remembrance" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). Although efforts are made to involve masses of people in the celebration of May 9 ("buses full of people hit the road"), the response is not overwhelming, as people have an opportunity to watch live coverage of the Victory Day celebration in Moscow on Russian TV: "When we are at home, we watch the parade on the Red Square, sometimes I make a dish of Russian cuisine together with my mum. We listen to Putin's speech" (Anna, female, 20 years old, student, November 17, 2021). There is no intergenerational conflict in this particular case; that is, young people do not reject the Victory Day celebrated by the older generation and do not consider that the celebration should be abandoned. However, there are indications that Russian young people living in Finland distance themselves from this event. One of the interviewees said: "9 May is sort of festivity, it is celebrated in Russia, it means nothing to me" (Lola, female, 21 years old, student, December 14, 2021). Festivity culture is one of the factors determining self-identification of the Russian youth living in Finland. "According to festivities, I consider myself to be more Finnish, and I, probably, don't have the feelings Russians have with regard to 9 May" (Bil, male, 34 years old, ITC specialist, December 12, 2021).

Although interviews were conducted before or after the celebration of Finland's Independence Day on December 6, both group leaders and young people mentioned it only when answering the questions directly asked by the researcher. Interviewees are of the opinion that historical remembrance days, including the Independence Day, are marked in Finland without the magnitude characteristic of other cultures. Young people compare the celebration of this holiday in Finland with practices in other countries where crowds of people are attracted. "The magnitude of this celebration cannot be compared to that of the Independence Day celebration in Russia or the USA. In Finland, the magnitude is smaller, much smaller" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021). Given that Finnish festivity culture is neither politicised nor oriented towards the mobilisation of the masses, interviewees have not witnessed an active Independence Day celebration at educational institutions: "The only time when it [the Independence Day] was celebrated, it was when Finland celebrated its centenary. Then it was marked at school" (Veronika, female, 19 years old, school student, October 14, 2021).

Flags in the streets and a holiday from school and work were mentioned as attributes of Finland's Independence Day (Veronika, female, 19 years old, school student, October 14, 2021). The interviewee said that "something like a parade is organised in Helsinki, the capital" (Veronika, female, 19 years old, school student, October 14, 2021). When asked why it is not a big celebration for the Finns, an interviewee offered his reflections: "It is a riddle for me, because Finns are nevertheless rather patriotic, but why are they so calm during the celebration? I don't know, maybe there is something in Finnish culture that makes Finns celebrate in a more down-to-earth format. The New Year – it is a major festivity for everyone, but other festivities are not. All people celebrate their festivities very calmly. This is probably related to their culture, mentality" (Aleksandr, male, 20 years old, student, November 13, 2021).

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

The celebration of Finland's Independence Day is unattractive to Russian immigrants; therefore, it appears that their participation is low. When asked: "Did you attend the events organised on the occasion of Finland's Independence Day in this city or in Helsinki?", interviewees provided a short answer: "No!" The following obstacles to participation were mentioned: the distance from celebration venues: "I live far away from the [city] centre, Helsinki is very far away from here" (Oleg, male, 46 years old, group leader, December 10, 2021); emotional estrangement: "I feel that the Victory Day on 9 May is my festivity" (Anna, female, 20 years old, student, November 17, 2021); the lack of information about events: "Some events are organised by the city administration" (Oleg, male, 46 years old, group leader, December 10, 2021); and an opportunity to watch the celebration of Finland's Independence Day remotely: "We watch [events] on television, we see the reception by the president" (Oleg, male, 46 years old, group leader, October 10, 2021). Russian immigrants have adopted the widespread practice of Finnish society to closely follow the reception by the president on TV and assess the attire and behaviour of participants in the event [29].

Russian young people in Finland do not actively engage in the celebration of Finland's Independence Day on an individual basis, but events are nevertheless organised in Russian immigrant groups. "6 December is the Independence Day here. We'll definitely have a public… a kind of… an event, organised by ourselves, we also invite some guests. And Finns willingly come to us, as our celebration is a little livelier, different" (Valentina, female, 55 years old, group leader, October 11, 2021). On the one hand, the willingness of Russians living in Finland to celebrate festivities of historical and political nature together with the host country's society is emphasised, but on the other hand, the desire to mark them "differently" is apparent. The interviewee expressed her perplexity as to the best way of celebrating this holiday. Finland's Independence Day is also celebrated in the religious group. The group leader said, "[..] it is a very great holiday for Orthodox believers – the Independence Day. Why? Because it's the day of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker" (Oleg, male, 46 years old, group leader, October 10, 2021). The ethnographic observations made by the researcher confirm this statement. The event of December 6 brought together an unusually large number of participants, and the attributes of religious festival and the historical and political holiday melded during the event organised by the religious group.
