Celebrating Heritage: Unique Festivals and Personal Traditions of HSE Students
We are delighted to bring you the unique stories of HSE students who share their cultural traditions and personal memories of festivals that connect them to their homelands. From the spiritual Sango Festival in Nigeria to the vibrant Day of the Dead in Mexico, these narratives reveal how celebrations unite people, preserve family bonds, and help them feel at home, even thousands of kilometers away. Let's explore how students from around the world adapt their traditions in Russia and find common ground with local holidays.
Adebisi Kemi Racheal, Nigeria
The Sango Festival in my country is really special as it’s not just a festival or, should I say, a celebration, but it’s a connection to my ancestors and my identity as a person from the Yoruba tribe. The celebration of Sango (the god of thunder and lightning) denotes the strength and resilience that run through my family and community.
Annually, people from different families come together, dressed in beautiful traditional attire (Iro and Buba for women, and Buba and Sokoto for men). We gather to dance, sing our traditional songs, mainly in praise of Sango, and later sit to listen to stories about Sango’s power and wisdom. My favorite part is the cleansing ritual; it denotes a fresh start, washing away negativity and welcoming new blessings.
I have loads of wonderful memories of this festival from my childhood, sitting by the fire in an open space, enjoying the drumming and storytelling. It is also a time when I truly feel so connected to my roots and proud of where I come from.
Having to celebrate this kind of festival in Russia will definitely be different as we cannot have big crowds, an outdoor fireplace, or a full ceremony, but we can make it special in our own way. A small group of us can cook traditional food, share stories, and play traditional music in praise of Sango to remind us of home.
The specific food for this festival is Amala with Ewedu and Gbegiri.
Maslenitsa in Russia is quite similar to this festival as it reminds me of the togetherness and celebration, and I think it also marks a change of season. Although Maslenitsa feels like fun to me, the Sango Festival is deeply spiritual for me. Thank you.
Kseniya Turenko, Uzbekistan
Well, I am from Uzbekistan, so I can tell you about Navruz - the spring "New Year" holiday. It is one of the most beautiful and colorful holidays in the country, celebrated on March 21st. "Navruz" is made up of two Persian words: "nav", which means "new", and "ruz", which means "day".
Navruz originated in Khorasan, Iran, over 3,000 years ago and spread to neighboring countries. It was initially a custom among farmers and later adopted by settled and nomadic Turkic peoples. Over time, the festival adapted to different nations' traditions and ideologies. Originating from ancient Iranian culture, it was associated with sun worship and the legendary soothsayer Zarathustra.
During this holiday (March 21st and some days before and after that), the capital, Tashkent, is decorated with flowers, and the streets are full of music and dances. Families usually clean their houses before the holidays, cook traditional food, and then visit relatives and friends, wearing wonderful national clothes.
As for me, my family and I do not personally celebrate this holiday, but it has become one of my favorites because we celebrated it in my school every year. To be honest, it is now my warmest memory of my school years. In our school, this holiday has transformed into something like "The Holiday of Different Nations". Each class chooses a country in the world, studies its culture and traditions (and sometimes even its language). Then, on March 20th (the day before the holiday), a celebration is organized in the school's large courtyard – each class sets up a table with national dishes from their chosen country, presents it and the chosen country to the school administration, who walk from one table to another to learn about what the students have prepared. Then, a concert is held in the schoolyard, where each class presents a prepared performance (usually a dance) related to the culture of the chosen country. After that, the official part of the event ends, and all the students disperse to their classrooms and... simply eat all the national food they prepared for this celebration! It was the most joyful part of the holiday when we were kids, but now I understand that the way this holiday was celebrated in our school really helped us to know other countries and our home country better. Everyone could feel themselves as a part of a big multinational community.
On Navruz day, a traditional festive dish is sumalak, made from sprouted wheat seeds. This dish is prepared in a unique ritual, with women participating and dancing. The process takes 24 hours, with the grains slowly stirring in a pot until they transform into a thick, brown mass. The dish is adorned with small pebbles or nuts, which are placed on the bottom to prevent burning. After cooling, dainties are served, and the image on the surface signifies a new year and physical and spiritual strength. The recipe is believed to have been invented by the first people inhabiting Central Asia during the harsh winter, as it helped them escape hunger and gain strength.
Qilong Miao, China
For me, the most important festival is Chinese New Year. It's a day when everyone gathers to eat and share their experiences and achievements of the year. I love Chinese New Year because it is the most important festival in China. My experience of the Spring Festival has left a deep impression on me since childhood. It represents not only the reunion of family, but also the maintenance of family ties. The festival lasts for 8–10 days and involves visiting different relatives. For Chinese people, family ties are very important.
For me, the Spring Festival has a unique cultural significance. This is my sixth year in Russia. Due to my course schedule, I basically spend all my time here. During the Spring Festival, I will have dinner with my friends, cooking and chatting together, which helps me to relax. The main difference is that I will invite some Russian friends to celebrate with us, and we will prepare Chinese and Russian food together, which makes this festival a little different from how it is celebrated in China.
The only necessary thing during the Spring Festival is eating dumplings. Dumplings often symbolise saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new year, as well as bringing good luck. At the same time, I will receive red envelopes containing money from relatives (often from the elderly to the young), which symbolise good luck and blessings. I receive about 80,000 to 100,000 roubles in red envelopes every year, which covers my annual travel expenses.
I think Chinese New Year is similar to Russian New Year and Russian Christmas combined. During this period of leisure, people reunite with their families and share their experiences from the past year. The difference is that Chinese New Year may feel more like an obligation. In southern China and the more traditional provinces, there are more complex rituals and rules that must be followed, such as ancestor worship, ancestral halls, fireworks and parades. Although I am from north-east China, where there is no such tradition, I know many friends from these regions still need to follow these rules.
The Spring Festival originated in China during the Shang Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,000 years. Over time, it has evolved into a blend of culture, quasi-religion and tradition. When I introduce the Spring Festival to my Russian friends, I talk about its cultural and symbolic significance in China as a national inheritance and historical memory. At the same time, I hope they will be able to relax and experience the meaning of different cultures.
Artem Bondar’, Kazakhstan
I want to tell you about a festival that holds deep personal meaning for me — it’s Nauryz, the Kazakh New Year, celebrated in March. In terms of vibe, it strongly reminds me of the Russian Maslenitsa. During this time, people go out to the streets, paint themselves, and have fun, even though there’s often still snow on the ground. Everyone warms up by bonfires, cooking national dishes on grills and coals, such as shelpek, baursaks, beshbarmak, and some even grill shashlik. Various competitions are held, national music plays, and people wear traditional clothing. It’s a grand celebration that unites the entire nation of Kazakhstan.
In my family, we don’t have any specific unique rituals for Nauryz. Usually, we just cook food at home, sit down to eat during the day, and closer to the evening, we head to the city center where the main “action” happens. The atmosphere there feels like New Year or Maslenitsa: artists come to perform, sing songs, ensembles show up, and after it gets dark, fireworks are launched. We just go there to enjoy the spectacle.
For me personally, Nauryz is tied to an important stage in my life. This festival became a part of my coming of age because my very first job was during Nauryz. At the age of 14, I worked at the attractions, selling tickets. It was my first job ever, and it left vivid memories.
Being in Russia, we didn’t celebrate Nauryz this year, but I think that if we do celebrate it next year, one of the challenges will be preparing beshbarmak, our national dish. It’s traditionally made with horse meat, and finding it here will probably be very difficult. Beshbarmak is a dish that is present at every Kazakh gathering; no feast happens without it. Also, during Nauryz, we make baursaks — small fried doughnuts, very filling, eaten instead of bread and often paired with tea. There’s also shelpek, which are Kazakh flatbreads. Although pilaf isn’t a national Kazakh dish, it’s often cooked during our holidays as well. I try to remember all these flavors and, if possible, recreate them here.
As I said, in terms of vibe, Nauryz is very similar to Maslenitsa. When I attend Maslenitsa celebrations, it feels like I’m in Kazakhstan celebrating Nauryz, just with people dressed a bit differently. Interestingly, Kazakh and Russian national clothing have similar silhouettes, which creates a sense of familiarity. Moreover, Kazakhstan is a multinational, secular state, and we celebrate both Maslenitsa and Nauryz. So, these holidays feel very close to me in spirit.
If I could introduce Nauryz to my friends in Russia, I would first highlight the preparation of national food, as well as traditional costumes like the chapan and national headwear. I would also love to set up a yurt because, in Kazakhstan, during Nauryz, yurts are placed all over the city. Anyone can enter one, warm up, eat for free, drink tea, and just leave. It’s a really cool tradition that reflects the hospitality of our people.
Michel Young Hernandez, Mexico
My name is Michel, and I’m an exchange student at HSE from Mexico City, Mexico. Today, I want to share a bit about my culture, specifically one of my favorite traditions, which I believe is the most popular Mexican tradition worldwide — Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This holiday was massively popularized by the Pixar movie “Coco”. I really cherish this tradition because it’s deeply connected to my family. Most Mexicans, including us, believe that our deceased loved ones come back to life on the 1st or 2nd of November to have dinner with us. For this reason, we set up an offering, or “ofrenda”, for them, where we prepare their favorite foods, provide water, flowers, and candles. Since it’s closely linked to Christianity, we often place a cross on the altar to guide them on their journey back to heaven. This tradition is very meaningful to me because I usually prepare the offerings with my mom. Together, we go to the market to buy everything we need, build the altar, and have heartfelt, meaningful conversations while doing so. We also prepare a good meal and sometimes watch movies related to the theme, making it a special time to bond.
When preparing the altar, it’s incredibly important to consider the tastes of our deceased loved ones. For example, my grandmother loved to smoke, so we always place some cigarettes on the altar for her. She was also a heavy drinker of tequila, so that’s something we never leave out. My grandfather, on the other hand, was passionate about food and writing, so we include one of his pens on the altar, and since he enjoyed drinking whiskey, we make sure to have that as well. We also try to place a photograph of the person the altar is dedicated to, one that we feel represents their personality the most. For instance, my grandmother was a very hardworking woman and a nurse, so we use a photo of her in her uniform at work. My grandfather was a journalist, so we choose a picture of him writing or working.
For me, Día de los Muertos holds deep personal significance because it’s so closely tied to my family. While preparing the altar, sudden memories and anecdotes about the deceased often come up. My mom shares stories, and sometimes we invite my other grandfather (my mom’s father, who is still alive), and he tells fascinating stories as well. It’s not just about the celebration or the tradition itself; it’s mainly a time to unite with my family, which is why I enjoy it so much. I remember one funny anecdote: it was already very late, almost the 30th of October, and we hadn’t set up the altar yet. We didn’t have much time to go to the market together, so I woke up very early to buy everything. When my mom came home from work, she was exhausted, but we both made a huge effort to prepare the altar. Normally, it takes us three to four hours, but that day, since it was so late, we did it as quickly as possible while still putting in great effort to maintain this tradition that we’ve carried on since I was born, and my mom even longer.
I haven’t been in Russia long enough to celebrate Día de los Muertos, as it falls on November 1st and 2nd, but I did bring some items that could be placed on an altar. I’m hoping to continue this celebration next semester, even while in Russia. Additionally, in Mexico, we prepare sugar skulls, which I usually make myself, decorate them, write the names of my friends on them, and give them as gifts. I try to decorate them in colors I think they’d like. Here in Russia, even though it wasn’t Día de los Muertos, I invited a couple of people to make sugar skulls together. I think everyone enjoyed it; they all took their sugar skulls home, and it was a very interesting experience for them. While I was preparing them, many people were curious about what I was doing, especially since I had to let them dry overnight. Some people in the kitchen were startled to see these sugar skulls and I had to explain that in Mexico, death isn’t taken as seriously as it is in Russia. Of course, we cry and feel sad that we won’t see our loved ones again, but we see it as a natural part of life. This perspective teaches us to cherish the living because we don’t know when they’ll be gone. I think this is a significant difference between how death is perceived in Russia and Mexico, and everyone found this cultural exchange very interesting.
I don’t think there’s a celebration in Russia similar to Día de los Muertos, likely due to the vast difference in perceptions of death. However, something that reminds me of it is the lighting of candles in Orthodox churches. While this is a practice throughout Christianity, the distinction they make between praying for the living and the dead by lighting candles for them is very interesting. I can even draw a comparison: in Mexico, putting a photo of a living person on the Día de los Muertos altar would be like wishing them dead, which is quite eerie. Similarly, a friend here told me that lighting a candle on the side of the church meant for the dead, when it’s for a living person, can also be seen as wishing them death. Of course, these are very different festivities, but there’s a subtle connection in how we honor and remember through symbols.
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