I took yesterday off to celebrate my super cute 2nd cousin's graduation. This was my first time seeing a Swedish gymnasiet graduation (high school graduation) and it was pretty wild. It's a completely insane tradition where 18 year olds are allowed to go absolutely crazy for the day. I am actually glad I graduated in the States instead... this would not have been my thing.
Goes a bit like this...
Students on graduation day meet at school (I suppose for some sort of ceremony), girls usually wear white dresses and boys wear suits. They all wear sea captain looking hats with their class and year on them. Friends and family wait outside the school with huge posters with a picture of their kid as a baby. Then all the students rush out from the school screaming and singing reuniting with their families and friends as graduates. Lots of photo taking and screaming and hugs. Family members also fill their kid's necks with strings of flowers, champagne, and stuffed animals.
Then the real madness begins. All the graduates and their friends who are 18 (legal drinking age in Sweden is 18) drive around the city screaming, blowing horns and drowning them selves in cheap beer (they literally pour and spray beer all over themselves for hours) on the flatbed of huge transport trucks... all the while pumping euro techno of course. It's just awful!
They then come home to their families drenched in beer (the smell is horrific) not to mention pretty wasted and have a nice 'quiet' party. I'm glad my little 2nd cousin was rather responsible and came home in pretty good shape. hehe I at least had a nice evening with all of the adults. I felt very grown up. It's been exactly 10 years since I graduated high school. Insane how time flies!
So I'd suggest not to visit Sweden in the first weeks of June. :)
Goes a bit like this...
Students on graduation day meet at school (I suppose for some sort of ceremony), girls usually wear white dresses and boys wear suits. They all wear sea captain looking hats with their class and year on them. Friends and family wait outside the school with huge posters with a picture of their kid as a baby. Then all the students rush out from the school screaming and singing reuniting with their families and friends as graduates. Lots of photo taking and screaming and hugs. Family members also fill their kid's necks with strings of flowers, champagne, and stuffed animals.
Then the real madness begins. All the graduates and their friends who are 18 (legal drinking age in Sweden is 18) drive around the city screaming, blowing horns and drowning them selves in cheap beer (they literally pour and spray beer all over themselves for hours) on the flatbed of huge transport trucks... all the while pumping euro techno of course. It's just awful!
They then come home to their families drenched in beer (the smell is horrific) not to mention pretty wasted and have a nice 'quiet' party. I'm glad my little 2nd cousin was rather responsible and came home in pretty good shape. hehe I at least had a nice evening with all of the adults. I felt very grown up. It's been exactly 10 years since I graduated high school. Insane how time flies!
So I'd suggest not to visit Sweden in the first weeks of June. :)
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