10 St Andrews Traditions to Take Part In

Tomorrow is Raisin Sunday, and I'm nostalgic. Here are ten unconventional traditions to take part in as a St Andrews student:

1. Sunday Pier Walk

The first pier walk of the academic year, which takes place around noon on the first Sunday of September, is the first opportunity a St Andrews student has to take part in university traditions.

The procession starts at St Salvator’s Chapel immediately following the service and winds down to the harbour, where students walk to the end of the pier, climb up the ladder, and walk back along the top.

While the pier walk takes place every Sunday, the first weekend of September is always the most well-attended as it signifies the beginning of the academic year.

2. Red gowns

The traditional red gowns of the university aren't required for the pier walk, but they are encouraged, and it's worth picking one up if you can afford to do, as wearing one is a great way to immerse yourself in the history of the university.

Students wear them differently based on their current year of study, according to the "academic strip tease": close to the neck for first years, slightly lower on the shoulders for second years, hanging off one shoulder for third years (left for arts students and right for science - "arts have hearts, but scientists are always right", the saying goes), and around the elbows for fourth, or final, years, as they shed the support of the university and move into the next phase of life.

Gowns can be bought new or secondhand from the university shop at the start of the year, but they can typically be acquired for much cheaper at one of the local charity shops (thrift stores for Americans) or on Facebook Marketplace.

3. Academic weddings and families

Academic families are one of the strangest St Andrews traditions, but also one of the most iconic, wherein third-year students couple up as "academic parents" to "adopt" incoming freshers. The academic family serves as a great way to meet others in your year as well as gain the support of a few older students. Every academic family is different, so you can be sure to find one that suits your personality: some love a night out, while others prefer movie nights; some plan weekly activities while others only come together for Raisin Weekend.

Those looking to be adopted can attend events designed to match parents with children, or can meet their prospective parents more informally at hall, school, or society events, or on nights out.

Many students go the extra mile and hold "academic weddings" at the start of third year, complete with a ceremony, guests, and fancy attire. It's important to note that academic couples are not romantic; in fact, adopting with your significant other is frowned upon.

4a. Raisin Sunday

The big academic family event is Raisin Weekend, so called because students would traditionally bring their parents a pound of raisins to thank them for welcoming them to St Andrews. These days, it's more common to thank your parents with cards, chocolates, or alcohol.

Raisin Sunday typically begins before dawn on one of the three St Andrews beaches, where students take part in drinking games or other beach activities before running into the sea at sunrise. Students then congregate at one of their parents' houses to warm up and eat breakfast - traditionally the academic mother hosted the first half of the day, but nowadays many opt to co-host together, and gendered roles are less defined.

After a few more games (and potentially an activity like a paint fight), students are sent out on a scavenger hunt around town followed by dinner, drinks, or a raucous party (traditionally hosted by the academic father) -- or, for the wise, a long nap and a chance to revive before the Monday foam fight.

While drinking is a large part of Raisin Weekend, there is never any obligation to drink (and for freshers not wishing to puke on their academic mother's carpet at 9:30am, it may be a safer option not to). Some families will opt for an alcohol-free Raisin, while drinking families will provide a non-alcoholic option.

4b. Raisin Monday

Students who have managed to drag themselves out of bed on Raisin Monday are duly rewarded by the Monday morning foam fight, which is perhaps the highlight of the weekend.

Freshers once again congregate at one of their academic parents' houses with a can of shaving foam in hand, where they are provided with themed and often elaborate group costumes, along with Raisin "receipts" (traditionally a Latin inscription stating that the student in question had indeed delivered the pound of raisins, but nowadays, nearly anything goes - many opt for large, cumbersome objects that create a spectacle while parading through town, or the more wholesome option, canned food for the local food drive). The academic family then proceeds in costume to Lower College Lawn, where they present their receipts to be allowed into a giant foam fight, complete with shaving foam cannons.

Raisin Monday also marks the beginning of Independent Learning Week (more commonly known as a reading week), which means you'll be able to sleep off your inevitable exhaustion and, if you were drinking, hangover.

In second year, your siblings may host a Raisin 'revenge' for your academic parents, and, if you so choose, in third year you may become a parent yourself. While many students partake in Raisin Weekend all four years, a student's first and third years are the most exciting when it comes to Raisin, and of course, there is no obligation to take part at all.

5. The Curse of Patrick Hamilton

Outside of St Salvator's Quad, the cobblestone initials "PH" mark the place where the martyr Patrick Hamilton was burned at the stake in 1528. Tradition has it that the ghost of Patrick Hamilton now haunts the spot, and some even claim to see a pattern resembling his face in the stone wall directly behind the initials. It is said that any student who steps on the PH under Hamilton's watchful eye will be cursed to fail their exams. Fortunately, the curse can be broken by participating in May Dip, where students once again brave the North Sea at sunrise to cleanse any "academic sins" they may have committed throughout the year.

Even now, I am careful to avoid the PH, as some say that stepping on it as a graduate curses you to take another degree at St Andrews.

6. St Andrews Day and The Big Hoolie

St Andrews Day, Scotland's national day which takes place on November 30th, is unsurprisingly a key date in the St Andrews town diary. The weekend before, the town comes alive for the Big Hoolie, an all-day celebration that kicks off with a community market. The main event, however, takes place when the sun goes down and South Street is blocked off for a giant street ceilidh, complete with a live band (if you've never been to a ceilidh, don't worry; a caller will shout directions and most participants don't really know what they're doing anyway). The ceilidh is followed by a torchlit parade and procession to the West Sands, where bagpipes blare and fireworks are lit off in celebration of the national holiday. No matter how cold you are, nothing will make you feel more patriotic.

7. Gaudie

Much like the Sunday Pier Walk, the annual Gaudie, which takes place on the evening of April 30th, sees St Andrews students gather for a procession to the end of the pier and back, clad in their signature red gowns. At the Gaudie, however, students are led by a piper and carry torches to commemorate the heroism of John Honey, a student of the university who rescued all five crew members from a sinking ship off the East Sands on January 3rd, 1800. While Honey survived, he eventually died at age 32 from injuries sustained during the rescue. Honey's legacy lives on in many ways within the university: every year, one student wins the John Honey Award for exceptional contribution to student wellbeing.

8. May Dip

The night following the Gaudie is usually reserved for all-night parties, which culminate with campfires on the beach before sunrise and, you guessed it, running into the North Sea at dawn. Doing May Dip naked is said to cleanse any academic sins you have committed over the year, leaving you curse-free before exams. Now that May Dip falls in the middle of exam season due to changes in the academic calendar, however, I would say wearing a swimsuit is just fine.

9. Soakings

One final water-based tradition takes place after a student's final undergraduate exam, when their friends meet at an agreed-upon location to "soak" them. If their friends are nice, they'll stick to water or other drinkable liquids, while nastier soakings typically include much worse and leave the beaches in a sticky mess resembling a food fight. As soon as the celebrated fourth year has run into the sea to wash off (and/or taken a quick, hot shower), the group often heads to the pub to celebrate.

10. Graduation caps and John Knox’s trousers

While St Andrews students don't wear mortarboard caps to graduation, another kind of cap has been used in graduation ceremonies at the university for over 300 years. The precise moment of graduation is said to occur when the graduand kneels before the principal and receives a tap on the head with a fabric cap. There has been some debate as to where this fabric came from - the prevailing belief is that it was taken from the seat of John Knox's trousers, but it is more likely that the cap itself was bought for the graduation of Sir John Arbuthnot in 1696.

Which is your favourite? Am I missing anything?