St Andrews University students celebrate 'Raisin Monday'

The event, known as “Raisin Monday”, is the culmination of a weekend of festivities when first-year students at St Andrews University say thank-you to their more senior student “parents” for mentoring them.

The so-called “children” are given embarrassing costumes to wear and take part in a shaving foam fight in St Salvator’s Quad in the Fife town.

(Image: PA) Raisin Weekend dates far back into the history of the university, which was founded in 1413 – making it the oldest university in Scotland.

It is named after the tradition whereby “children” gave their academic “parents” a pound of raisins to thank them for welcoming them to St Andrews.

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Nowadays, however, the “parents” are more likely to receive a bottle of wine.

See the odd tradition in the pictures below.

(Image: University of St Andrews)

(Image: University of St Andrews)

(Image: University of St Andrews) (Image: University of St Andrews) (Image: University of St Andrews) (Image: University of St Andrews)