Discussing school celebrations from an intercultural perspective – a study in the Finnish context

Abstract

The increased diversity in pupils' cultural and ethnic backgrounds in schools causes urgent demands for the organization of school celebrations in many countries. Celebrations represent the cultural values of the society and it is important to find out how various traditions are expressed in them. This study examines teachers' and other educational staff members' perceptions of Finnish culture, Lutheran religiosity, and intercultural education in Christmas, Independence Day and end-of-term celebrations in Finnish schools. The data of this paper consists of 12 thematic interviews, and two participations in school festivals. The interview data were analyzed qualitatively with content analysis. The analysis of this study shows that festivals are perceived as important parts of education and they can help to create a sense of national or cultural community. However, the intercultural potential of school celebrations is often not put into its full use. There exists an urgent need to create new ways of carrying out celebrations in multicultural school communities so that they would be meaningful for all students.

How and Why Education Counters Ideological Extremism in Finland

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International Week in a Norwegian School. A Qualitative Study of the Participant Perspective

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“…With the negative research literature as a backdrop, it is interesting to read Pia Niemi's (2016;2014) recent PhD-study on Finnish students and teachers and their perceptions of traditional school celebrations such as Christmas and Independence Day. Despite pinpointing "the absence of interculturality in the celebrations", she underlines their positive effects on peer relations, school belonging and community building (Niemi & Hotulainen, 2016, p. 12), and argues that they "encompass a potential for intercultural encounters" (Niemi et al, 2014, p. 262-264).…”

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“…Culturally, Finland is nearly homogeneous (Niemi, Kuusisto, and Kallioniemi, 2014). Previously, Finland had a history as a "closed society" after World War II, allowing little immigration (Koivukangas, 2005).…”