As far as university traditions go St Andrews runs rings around the rest of the field. With Red Gowns, Academic Families, May dip and the famous Raisin Monday Foam Fight I can't think of a single university world wide that can match that ( like the most exciting this my home university does is a go kart race across campus during the drunken antics that is autonomy day).
Needless to day when my favourite St Andrews resident invited me to come down for a little but of raisin weekend fun I said yes. like immediately.
Now if like myself not too long ago your knowledge of raisin weekend can be summed up in the shrug of a shoulders then here is a mighty quick ( and probably inaccurate ) guide.
During your first couple of months in St A's the goal in life is to be 'adopted' by some of the older students these will be your 'academic parents' and there sole aim is to introduce you to St A's and guide you through the drunken antics that is raisin weekend.
Raisin Sunday : Go to your mums from 'morning tea and games' ( read as alcohol and drinking games) with your academic family. Then follow that on with either a flat or pub crawl with your academic siblings with your academic fathers family
Raisin Monday : The famous foam fight is Sally's Quad during which you must wear your raisin costume designed by your academic mum.
now that that has all be over simplified.
Raisin Sunday for me began with the bus trip from Dundee and then a shot before the time of 11am because I may not have realised that the "don't be early don't be late" on the invitation also referred to out of town visitors. The next two hours consisted of ice breakers, drinking games and the most disgusting game of twister I have ever played ( its was paint and canned food and sometimes I swear I can still feel canned tomato's in between my toes sometimes) the party games where over and it was onto the scavenger hunt portion of the afternoon.
me post twister - pre having paint and mushy peas smeared all over me
As with all scavenger hunts that include some level of intoxication the items on the list where ridiculous and many. For the sake of plausible deniability I will not be sharing the photos with you however I will share a couple of a favourite tasks.
Maypole dance around the pole at the end of the pier
Take a photo of your entire team on a slippery dip
Do the Can Can up the main road
The day finally ended with watching easy a, taking a nap and acquiring indian before I took the bus back home. No other words can really be used to describe raisin other than an experience I laughed to much, face palmed a few to many times, witnessed things I would rather forget, and made memories I never will - all without actually being a St A's student so good job there me.
My Lovely little academic siblings, parent, aunt and cousins prior to the scavenger hunt.
