Initiation Traditions in Slovenia and Latvia

Some (especially high) schools around the world practice initiation as a part of an integration process. Depending on the country, the initiation as well as the attitude towards it varies. It takes different shapes and forms; some try to avoid it, but some have great memories to share. I took a closer look at two countries - Slovenia and Latvia - for a detailed comparison.

Initiation in Slovenia. Source: .Imgur.com
In Slovenia, initiation has different names, most commonly it is referred to as ‘iniciacija’ or ‘fazaniranje’; the latter derives from ‘fazani’, which is what freshmen are usually called. The word means a bright-colored and long-tailed pheasant.

In those Slovenian schools, where initiation has become a common practice, the event takes place on the first day of the new school year and only lasts one day. It’s usually on the 1st of September. ‘Fazani’ can be easily spotted as they have to wear some special clothes or extensive makeup, but the most common indicator is the drawing of the letter ‘F’ on the forehead and other parts of the body. Initiation involves various activities as well as dressing out of the ordinary. The use of flour and eggs that get thrown at the high school newcomers is quite common. There are also numerous safe and quite interesting activities that students can think of, like measuring the corridor with toothpicks, crawling while imitating sounds of cars at the same time. However, cases when a student doesn’t get dirty are rare, because eggs, flour and other things are thrown at them. At the end of the initiation, there is a ceremony when a person takes his oath and receives some symbolic awards like bags of grain. Most people have positive and memorable experiences regarding these practices.
Initiation in Latvia. Source: Ievfsp.lv

In Latvia, initiation is mostly called ‘fukši’ without any definite meaning and it usually happens the last week before the autumn holidays, namely, the last week of October. The initiation is not a part of the school program (which is also true of Slovenia) and is organized by the high school’s last grade students.

In Latvia 10th grade students usually await initiation with mixed emotions: impatience, fear, and fuss. The whole event usually lasts one week and involves trying on various outfits. For instance: One day students might be told to look like rock stars, some other day they can be given a rule to dress like homeless people. Last grade students really enjoy coloring the new students. Typically physical activities take place in corridors and stadiums where people can perform different activities, for example: jumping on one foot, slip-and-slide with a dishwashing liquid. Some students are told to dig a big pond and fill it with water. Later newcomers need to cross it holding an apple in their mouth. At the end of the day, there is a ceremony that involves reading the oath. Newcomers usually feel exhausted, but at the same time they feel like they earned their place in the school community.

 On the other hand, initiations can, in some cases, turn out badly. Due to this reason, in the United States of America, 44 states out of 50 have anti-hazing laws. And yet this tradition is quite common in various other countries without almost any controlling rule, including Slovenia and Latvia as well with all the positive and negative sides. In Latvia, the initiations generally tend to have a more humiliating connotation as a part of making fun out of the newcomers and perhaps also due to the fact that bullying is quite common in such cases. There is no rule that would regulate what kind of activities are allowed. Each person’s self-confidence and attitude towards what is funny and whether he or she is able to laugh about himself or herself can highly vary among each person. A bit different approach is taken when a similar initiation happens at a university as it tends to involve more educational tasks. Despite the fact that it can also turn into something which involves a lot of physical activity like orienting through obstacles in woods, it is less likely that students would get as dirty and colored as in high school.

Regardless of whether the new students like initiation or not, it should be a choice given to newcomers. Slovenia in this case is way friendlier than Latvia. In Latvia, there are different methods used to make people attend the hazing, and the idea that the crazier the initiation, the better is still quite common. One can find similarities between both countries like throwing food and especially flour, or having a ceremony at the end. But in Slovenia, the overall event is more oriented towards team-building than humiliating. In any case, this event is memorable for anyone who partakes. In many cases, it plays an important role in further socializing. In my opinion, initiation shouldn’t be abandoned or forbidden, but the aim should be to make it more beneficial and positive with better planning and control from schools’ authorities.

Resources:
Hazing (Accessed from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hazing)
Iesvētības vidusskolā - jautrība vai pazemojums (Accessed from: http://www.tvnet.lv/egoiste/attiecibas/67112-iesvetibas_vidusskola_jautriba_vai_pazemojums)
Is Hazing a High School Tradition or an Illegal Activity? (Accessed from: http://privateschool.about.com/cs/students/a/hazing1.htm)
States With Anti-Hazing Laws (Accessed from: http://www.stophazing.org/laws/states-with-anti-hazing-laws/)

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