Calendar Festivals as a Form of Transnationalism and Cultural Strategy in the Mixed Finnish-Lithuanian and Greek-Lithuanian Families

Abstract

<p></p><p>Abstract: The object of the paper is to research the celebration of calendar<br />festivals within Finnish-Lithuanian and Greek-Lithuanian families in Finland<br />and Greece respectively. The subject was approached mainly from the<br />Lithuanian women’s perspective, since most of the mixed marriages involved<br />Lithuanian females and rarely Lithuanian men in the countries chosen.<br />Six main Lithuanian calendar festivals of different origins were in focus of<br />the study. Three festivals belong to the Christian calendar: Christmas Eve<br />(Kūčios), Christmas (Šv. Kalėdos) and Easter Day (Šv. Velykos); and the other<br />three are national festivals significant for the State of Lithuania historically:<br />16th February (Day of Reinstating of the State of Lithuania), 11th March (Day<br />of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania) and 6th July (Statehood<br />Day). The aim of the research is to reveal how the calendar festivals referred<br />to above are celebrated in the particular context of emigration: within mixed<br />marriages. Available transnational connections suggest different forms of<br />celebrating, which are shaped following certain strategies.<br />Keywords: calendar festivals, cultural strategy, identity, mixed marriage,<br />transnationalism<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>