Jaunimo iniciaciniai ir kalendoriniai papročiai

LTXX a. ir XXI a. pradžios laikotarpis Lietuvoje sudaro palankią galimybę kultūrinio tapatumo dinamikai tirti. Radikalūs socialiniai, ekonominiai ir ideologiniai pokyčiai tarpukariu, sovietinės okupacijos ir nepriklausomybės atgavimo laikotarpiu sureikšmino jaunimo vietą hierarchinėje amžiaus stratifikacinėje struktūroje. Studijoje analizuojami jaunimo amžiaus tarpsnio papročiai. Jaunystės sąvoka iš pirmo žvilgsnio suprantama ir nereikalauja jokių komentarų, tačiau daugelio mokslųjį traktuojama skirtingai. Nevienodai laiko perspektyvoje ją suvokė ir pats žmogus. Ikiindustrinėje Europoje jaunystė buvo suprantama kaip etapas tarp vaikystės ir tėvystės (motinystės), taigi susijęs su šeimine padėtimi. Kartu jis tam tikra prasme išreiškė sąlyginai žemą šio amžiaus atstovų padėtį bendruomenėje (Gillis 1981: 1-2). Panašią padėtį galime įžvelgti ir XIX a. antrosios pusės - XX a. pradžios Lietuvoje. Lietuvos kaime (ypač rytinėje krašto dalyje) dar gyvavo vyresniškumu paremta hierarchinė socialinio statuso kaitos sistema, kurioje išskirtinę padėtį įgydavo seneliai. Žodžiai „vaikas", ypač „piemuo", dar ir dabar tam tikrose situacijose įgyja negatyvią, pašiepiančią ar net paniekinamą prasmę (Šaknys 2001: 11). Jaunystė sietą su priklausomybe tam tikros teritorijos bendraamžių bendrijai. Ji buvo savotiška suaugusiųjų bendruomeninės veiklos mokykla ir net laboratorija, kurioje modeliuojamos jaunuomenės, kaip būsimųjų kaimo bendruomenės narių, socialinio bendravimo normos, elgsenos stereotipai, ruošiamasi suaugusiojo visuomeninei padėčiai ir mokomasi būsimųjų vaidmenų. [Iš teksto, p. 65]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Jaunimas; Šventės; Kalendorinės šventės; Laisvalaikis; Papročiai; Tradicijos; Apeigos; Tyrimai; Aukštaitija; Youth; Holidays; Calendar holidays; Leisure; Customs; Traditions; Rituals; Research; Aukštaitija; Lithuania.

ENUnder the USSR occupational regime the Lithuanian ethnic culture experienced radical changes. In the period of national rebirth (1988-1990) and shortly after the restitution of the Lithuanian Republic (1990) the feelings of ethnic identity came again into the focus of attention. In the process of reconstruction of traditions cherished in the years of Independent Lithuania, particular emphasis was given, among other things, also to the cultural representation of ethnic customs. The present study examines this process through the analysis of calendar and initiation customs, more specifically, through the investigation into their chronological and diachronic change in the interwar period and early 21st c. This cartographic enquiry draws chiefly upon my fieldwork materials gathered in 2002-2004. To describe customs practised by present-day youth, I relied mainly on information elicited from 16-25 year old respondents. The basic criterion for the selection of informants was their active involvement in the activities pursued by a relevant local peer community. Having interviewed at least one respondent of the focus age group, I sometimes also sought for older informants (up to 39 years) to get a better insight into the life lived by youth in the Soviet period. Using a semi-structured interviewing technique I filled out 101 forms of the questionnaire titled "Representation of and Interaction between the Teenager and the Youth Community: the Ethnic, the Sub-cultural, and the Local Aspect". For the purpose of comparison, I also used my previous area-based research findings on the enactment of cultural practices related to youth initiation and calendar customs in the interwar period. The present study covers multiple representations of the human life and the annual cycle customs.It enquires into the initiation customs practised to mark individual's physiological (first menstruation) and social maturity (admittance to a local / age / hobby / academic / professional group; marking the acquisition of one's first passport / wages / school-lcavining certificate). The present study illuminates the representations of holiday culture reflected in calendar customs. It offers the analysis of such issues as Advent or Lent bans on merrymaking; holiday parties (Christmas, New Year Day, Shrove, Easter, Whit, and St. John's Day); Easter parades; Whit gatherings; dyeing of eggs (on Easter and on the First Sunday after Easter); ritual fires (fireworks and bonfires lit on a number of holidays); pouring water on each other; swinging; wedding magic; and love magic actually having nothing to do with calendar customs. The enquiry into the dynamics of initiation and calendar customs practised by youth allows making the following conclusion: although occupational authorities sought to "create" Soviet traditions involving both complexes of customs, the present-day "revivalists" of Lithuanian customs and holidays concentrated only on calendar customs. However, the rapid ongoing processes of modernisation modified the character of their relation with the local tradition. Investigation into the initiation customs showed that in spite of Soviet authorities' failure to introduce a civil rite of coming of age in the period of Soviet rale, relevant customs experienced substantial changes. With the exception of a high school-leaving party held in a similar way all over Lithuania, youth initiation customs failed to form major compact areas - such ones failed to be formed by initiation customs also in the preceding interwar period. The corresponding initiation symbolism is not very elaborated. The differentiation of initiation customs by gender is poorly developed.Although unlinked with local community, the customs often demonstrate fixed chronological representation. The sources of these processes may be traced back to late 19th - early 20th c.c. Overall, the present-day initiation actions are the natural representation of modernisation processes, both the ongoing and the former ones. Customs practised in relation to calendar holidays also changed rapidly. Modified or decomposed over the years of Soviet occupation, they were reconstructed in late 20th c. Rather successful representation of this process may be observed in the customs of Advent or Lent. They are featured by specific characteristics of the area. Restrictions on merrymaking arc observed less often only in the northern part of Aukštaitija lying near the border with Latvia, and in the western part of the region bordering on Žemaitija. The specific character of the periods also affected Christmas and Easter customs. When Lithuanian authorities provided 2 days for the celebration of Christmas or Easter holidays, the first day - just like in the interwar period - turned into a family holiday while the second day celebrations showed a very marked tendency towards out-of-famtly entertainment and merrymaking. Today, this process is the most intensive in East Aukštaitija. In the northern part of the region multiple get-togethers are less common not only on the first but also on the second day of Christmas or Easter holidays - just like in the interwar period. Currently, the custom of organising parties on Shrove has become more intensive - especially in East and Northwest Aukštaitija. Significantly, in the eastern part of the region New Year Day get-togethers are less common among peer community members. However, youth gatherings on St. John's Day are practised very widely all over Aukštaitija.