Foamy warfare? St Andrews college students play out trendy tackle historical ritual | University of St Andrews

Nobody on the University of St Andrews in Scotland appears to recollect how Raisin Monday turned a large foam battle. For 600 years, first-year college students have taken half within the ritual of thanking older college students for mentoring them by their first few weeks of college life.

Traditionally, freshers would give their elders a pound of raisins – therefore the identify. This Monday nonetheless, tons of wore fancy gown as they streamed on to St Salvator’s decrease faculty garden at 11am armed with cans of shaving foam, overlaying each other in soapy clouds as they’ve for the previous few a long time. Groups of scholars gown as Smurfs, mice, bananas, grandmas, sunflowers and cooks to take part within the annual ceremony of passage.

The theme for every group is chosen by second- and third-year college students, often called “mums” and “dads”, who’ve been matched with the primary years. The proud “mother and father” stand on the sting of garden screaming and waving to their “kids”. Within minutes, the scent of shaving foam fills the sq. as cans are emptied over different college students. It rapidly turns into inconceivable to tell apart between costumes.

“Traditions like this are rather more necessary as a result of persons are much less linked head to head than they had been earlier than. Getting to do one thing like this brings everybody collectively,” says Freya, a primary yr whose group has been dressed as periodic desk components by their chemistry pupil mother and father.

Simon, who’s a part of the identical household, says: “When you’re overlaying one another in shaving foam, how rather more bonded are you able to get?”

Everyone concerned recognises that this exercise is especially unusual in a crowded subject of bizarre college rituals. At Merton College, Oxford, college students stroll backwards round Fellows’ Quadrangle when the clocks return in October. In Aberdeen, every new rector is carried round campus on the again of a stuffed bull by college students.

There is a critical level to the St Andrews ritual at this remoted college on the east coast of Fife, the third oldest within the English-speaking planet. More than half of the small city is made up of scholars – who come from everywhere in the planet – and the custom helps break down obstacles between college students.

Deborah, an American medical pupil, is looking at her educational kids within the crowd. Her group has dressed because the blue-skinned supervillain, Megamind, from the animated DreamWorks movie. “Because it’s such a small college, we get to have these kind of occasions. It wouldn’t be possible at an even bigger place. It brings individuals collectively. We should not have as many issues occurring as a result of we’re so small, so it helps create group and folks you wouldn’t normally meet,” she says.

Sunday has at all times been an important a part of the weekend custom, when first years are woken early, “kidnapped”, and made to take a dip within the North Sea. But in 2026, that’s non-compulsory. For the Monday foam battle, college students are inspired to donate to a neighborhood meals financial institution earlier than they begin spraying from their canisters – and seems to be far much less alcohol-fuelled than it has in earlier years.

After about half an hour, the excited college students working across the inexperienced start to gradual. The cans of shaving foam are empty and the primary years head to the exit to be hosed down regardless of the only digit temperature. Away from the inexperienced, foam-covered college students greet their mother and father with bear hugs, overlaying them with foam, earlier than heading house for a bathe.

“It’s wonderful,” says Henry, an American pupil whose camouflage face paint has been utterly lined in foam. “I solely actually know Americans, so getting to fulfill individuals from Singapore, England, South America, Africa and the Middle East by that is nice. It’s uncommon to discover a place the place you’ll be able to meet such a various group of individuals.”