Ranked first as one of the “Seven strangest University Traditions” by studentsbeans.com, St Andrews’ notorious Raisin Weekend is a truly unique way in which third years welcome their first year babies to the bubble. The Telegraph published a picture of four St Andrews students in the midst of the foam fight with the caption, “Spain has La Tomatina: Scotland has Raisin Monday”, encapsulating the mutual liberating madness of both events. Before our weekend began each hall was delivered a talk by a local policemen, leaving us with horror images of cautions, handcuffs, ambulances, and a student forced to do a thirty mile walk of shame in a nappy after being released from Glenrothes police station. The following Sunday morning as I approached the unusually busy dining hall for breakfast, all that could be seen was pale faces stuffing carbohydrates into their mouths in preparation for the day ahead.
One by one my friends left the table, with the cries of “good luck” following them. However our fears were irrational as my raisin Sunday was so much fun, from stairways to heaven to scavenger hunts, my day flew by as time was lost. Monday morning came quickly, and as I walked dressed as a bumblebee to collect my raisin receipt, I passed nuns, elves and even half of Noah’s Ark. With the raisin receipt of a Christmas tree on our shoulders my siblings and I made our way to the quad. After orientating ourselves through a carefully stewarded path, we lined up outside getting the perfect view of the “Pope” and his Swiss Guards parade down North Street. The foam fight itself was an interesting yet amusing experience, with the hard-core enthusiasts dominating the centre and the more cautious foam fighters dithering on the outside. As mad as it was, Raisin weekend was a truly unforgettable experience and I think every first year is already looking forward to their turn at being parents!
Christiana Bishop