Exploring the experience of festive nostalgia and loneliness among college students living away from home

Abstract

This exploratory mixed-methods study explores how undergraduate college students living away from home emotionally experience festivals, specifically focusing on the experience of Festive nostalgia and loneliness, and their relationship with each other. It uses quantitative scales to measure the intensity of and correlation between the two emotions, and qualitative interviews to gain better insights into the role of festivals in the emotional adjustment and acculturation of university students. The findings reveal that while festivals can induce negative emotions in students, experiencing nostalgia during festivals motivates them to cope in ways that eventually reduce their loneliness and make them feel closer to home. However, cultural and other factors may mediate this relationship. Over time, their experience is marked by strong social bonds, increased adjustment, and the changed significance of festivals. This study appeals to continue further research on these interconnected emotions to incorporate their powerful implications in mental health interventions.