ekellyga

While we were in Scandanavia last June, we saw many young people wearing a certain type of hat, walking around the cities together. We were told they were the area graduates, and I am guessing High school, not college. I also remember that the caps had some nautical motiff to it. Can anyone enlighten me a bit on this custom, or has anyone else been there at that time of year and seen the same thing???

marianna1

Yes! We were in Sweden in late May and early June in Goteborg and then Stockholm and we saw this too. We asked around about it and it seemed to be about the high school/gymnasiam (sp?) level of graduation. It made both cities seem so festive with lots of kids riding around in convertibles or old cars or in the backs of trucks wearing those caps and having plants (why?) and signs and singing songs in Swedish and waving at everyone and cheering. We joined in and waved back but did not manage to get any good explanatins either. Maybe someone else can explain?

Cobos

Hey guys, native Scandinavian (Norwegian) here! Hope I can help explain a few things.

Ekellyga, were you in Norway or Sweden? Both countries have the kind of tradition you describe, but they are wildly different. Swedish high school graduates wear white "Sunday best" clothes and white hats, sing songs and celebrate around their graduation day (which is in early June). Norwegian high school graduates wear red (most common), blue or other mono-colored hats and overalls, and drive around in busses partying for well over a month before graduation. They can get pretty wild... The Norwegian celebration reaches its high point on constitution day, May 17th.

I don't know much about the Swedish celebration, but I know a lot about the Norwegian, having been part of it myself.

- Kat, posting with her boyfriend's account

ekellyga

Well, we were in both countries last summer.....3rd week of June. It was just a flashback I had while driving, and neither my wife nor I ever found out what it was all about, except that it was graduation.
Now that you say it, I do remember the different colors. Didn't see any spontaneous singing while out on city streets. They seemed to be having a good time, but they weren't unruly.

Do they do this in very small towns too? We noticed it only in the large cities.

What great places to visit!!! I'd love to go back someday.

Kahvi

Hm... Well, it's the fact that you were seeing them in mid-to-late June that puzzles me. I've never seen anyone wear Russ apparal after graduation. The wast majority stop wearing it after the 17th of May.

Kahvi

Whoops, replied too soon!

I meant to post these links to some sites with info and pictures about the russ celebration:

http://www.waddledee.net/pictures/07.php

And a more in-dept and serious look at the tradition:
http://www.fredskorpset.no/?DocumentID=778