This report is based on the analysis of the complexity of child education process oriented to social inclusion by participating in cultural life, and results of the research on formation of preschool age child identity. This research is a part of the longitudinal study performed at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University and Kaunas College. The main aim of the longitudinal study was to investigate educational possibilities and preconditions for the development of intercultural competencies.

Preschool education has the important purpose – in collaborating with a family to create educational environment beneficial for child development in two  directions: in general – holistic education that determines active participation in cultural and social life, as well as in special – readiness for formal learning. The research being presented is aimed to search for particular possibilities to implement the above-mentioned aim.

According to Giddens (2000), in late modern culture, the issue of identity in the society is one of the most problematic questions of a modern person’s life. The individual feels abandoned and alone in the world where she/he lacks psychological support and the sense of security guaranteed by the former cultural environment where the sense of belonging was prevalent. Contemporary culture is marked in the variety inspired by the discussed tendency towards individualism (Veckiene,  Veckys,  2003).

In this context the tensions among a ‘netizen’ identity formation and globalization determined by the change in the concept of education and a family becomes evident. These tensions specifically disclose through economic  migration,  and constant social changes experienced by the 21^st century Lithuania.

One of the essential identity components is culture, the fundamental of which is ethno-culture transmitted from one generation to another one. Researchers distinguish three models of culture transmission: the vertical one – from one generation to another one within a family, the horizontal one – among representatives of the same generation and the indirect one – knowledge on culture traditions and their experience at education institutions ( Canalli-Sforza and  Felman: cit. Stonkuvienė, 2001).

This research refers to the survey on identity, cultural transmission and national education relations performed by Lithuanian researchers in 2010; the mentioned research disclosed that the celebration of traditional calendar festivals in Lithuania was the main way to express ethno-culture (Stonkuvienė, 2011), and  previous surveys on Lithuanian national identity (Ramanauskas,  Bruneviciute,  Minkute,  2000) as well as creation of educational environment (Bruneviciute,  Veckiene,  Kyburiene,  2010; Bruneviciute,  Veckiene,  2009) performed by us.

Traditional calendar festivals distinguish in their complexity from ethno-culture forms, which rather successfully and individually integrated into important Christian festivals (such as Christmas and Easter) due to historical circumstances  in Lithuania.

In order to ensure the succession of ethno-culture transferring, it is particularly important to start this process in early childhood (Fiske, 1998). A preschool education institution and family are distinguished as the most important institutes influencing child’s socialization (Vasiliauskas, 2005; Stonkuvienė, 2011; Urbonavičienė, 2012 and others). Involvement of family festivals’ traditions into child’s formal education creates favourable conditions for identity formation and child’s socialization.

The aim of preschool education – is to prepare not only a child but also parents for the further stage of formal education. In this age phase child’s adaptation takes place through a game and satisfaction (Aramavičiūtė, Jasiūnaitė, 2011). Child’s interest in the most traditional calendar festivals, his / her wish to take part in them and understand their importance meets the need of this age phase children to communicate (Urbonavičienė, 2012). The experience of common festival of all participants helps a child to find oneself as equivalent member of the society, inspires intuitive responsibility for one’s actions, acts, and fostering of traditional culture (Katinienė, 2003).

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