May Day in Turku is quite a big deal, they celebrate workers rights of course but also the students. On the night before thousands of people assemble near the square and all put their university caps on at exactly 6pm. To quote the students web page:
MAY DAY IS COMING (or did it ever leave..?)
30.4. May Day Eve
Get your mead brewing, find your student caps from the dusty shelves, sew all your patches, fetch you picnic blankets from the summer storage… It’s time for May Day to start again!
May Day or “Vappu” is the Finnish version of Labour Day that we celebrate to honour working people. It is also the biggest student festival of the year, bringing together tens of thousands of students and other citizens of Turku.
May Day Eve starts with TYY and organisations giving out punch around the campus area. TYY’s own Punch Stand is in the University Hill.
At 16.45, a traditional May Day Parade leaves from the University Hill towards the Turku Art Museum Hill, where the whole city gathers to listen to music and a speech from the Chair of the TYY Executive Board. At 6 sharp, we all put on our students caps (ylioppilaslakki). The moment when thousands of students and alumni with their caps have gathered at Aurakatu is by far the most impressive part of Vappu, so you definitely don’t want to miss this moment! After the “capping” (Fin. “lakitus”), Vappu celebration continues in the Runeberg Park where dental students will wash The Lily of Turku statue and give Lily a student cap. At 19.00 the Technology students of Turku give Paavo Nurmi a student cap as well.
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