Valborg!

So this post is long overdue. My apologies! It's been a hectic couple of weeks!

Valborg is a Swedish holiday. Full disclosure, until I got it together to Google it myself, I had no idea about the history of the holiday. I had only heard about traditions and celebrations surrounding the holiday. Here's my best summary of the history:

Valborg is "Walpurgis Eve" which is April 30th every year. It's a time to celebrate spring! That's it. Uppsala students have taken to really celebrating by making it an excuse to drink for five days. There are particular traditions around Uppsala that happen every year. Now my bank account and my liver could not handle five days but there were certain events that I simply could not miss.

Sunday, April 28th
I was studious and stayed in to write a paper while raging Valborg kick off parties where happening around Uppsala.

Monday, April 29th
The week kicked off with Valborg club nights at a few of the nations. I was designated picture person that night but here's a picture of my friends at the club!

Lana, Dieuwertje, Esther, and Silke

Tuesday, April 30th

To my delight, the festivities continued the next morning at 8 in the morning. So early. But I finally dragged by bum out of bed because there was a boat race on the river in town. 

Gusties at the river! Me, Annalise, and Signe

Typically, a ton of people come to the river to see the boat race so you had to get there early to get a good spot. And the university students all have champagne and strawberries. Now, I should explain the boat race. It's not exactly a race. It's just teams of four people that have built boats from the supplies provided. They had to attend informational meetings and hear safety information because I guess something about floating down a river in a boat made of styrofoam is not safe. And the teams float/paddle down the river in their boats one by one. Not overly thrilling but amusing nonetheless. Here are some boats we saw!

Just a car

THE MYSTERY MACHINE, Scooby Doo Gang included!

Up!

Horse

Usain Boat. Clever. 

TMNT

Bar on the River

It's a unicorn!

Excavator. Tonka if I'm not mistaken. MN pride. 

The day continued with lunch and champagne in the park behind on the academic buildings!

Friends in Ekonomikum Parken Lana, Esther, Annalise, Darailia, Signe, Me, and Silke

Such a strange thing. There were porta-potties set up and police were there but not doing anything. Just watching. The park was also blocked off because they didn't want people to be wandering the streets drinking. I suppose they know that students are going to be drinking in public so they contain it as well as they can. 

So crowded. That building in the back is Ekonomikum which is where I used to have class.

The day continued with a champagnegalopp at our nation, Snerikes! This was by far my favorite part of Valborg. You pop champagne and spray it everywhere and all over your friends. CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS. Even though the champagne burned my skin and eyes and made me incredibly sticky, it was SO MUCH FUN. 

Once again, lots of people.

And then you smash the bottle. 

 

Covered in champagnne! Silke, Esther, Dieuwertje, Lana, and me

More champagne covered friends! Lana and me, Elana, Kate, someone?, and Rebecca

And I suppose that was the big party night but all of us were exhausted so we all went home for a nap and ended up sleeping through the night. Oops. 

Tuesday, May 1st

Since we (all my friends and I) went to bed early we were up at at 'em bright and early on what's supposed to be the biggest hangover day of the year. I'm so sad that I missed out on having a tremendous hangover (I hope you read the sarcasm in that). Anyway, Signe and I wanted to get some homework done, we thought it would be a good idea to go to the library. It was closed. Apparently it was a holiday and nothing was open. 

So all and all not the most eventful Valborg but extremely enjoyable! Strange traditions and new friends!

Skål!