One of the celebrations I still find peculiar is the way high school students in Sweden celebrate their graduation. Wearing white nautical caps, they pile into dump trucks blasting music with heavy bass, and ride all through town screaming at the top of their lungs. You can hear them coming from at least a mile away.
The thumping bass of the trucks – a rarity around these parts, very reminiscent of the US – arrives before they do. It is then followed by shrill screams from both the boys and girls in various stages of undress.
They circle multiple times around roundabouts. They stream up and down the same streets a few times. They blow kisses to police cars that pass by. Some drink in the safety of their dump truck. City loitering rules don’t seem to apply when in the dump trucks.
They’re loud, passionate, expressive, and obnoxious within reason. In a sense, a welcome distraction in an otherwise semi-stoic city.
Seems like they are having a great time and its great that the police and communities allow them there one chance to express their graduation. How to you rent a dump truck?
Yes, I’ve definitely heard of “lagom” and most Swedes I’ve met are typically very reserved until they have a few drinks 😉
@Sophie – I suspected they might have something similar in Norway. Both cultures are so similar, even down to language. Would love to see a photo of those buses.
@JoAnna – Definitely contagious.
@Filip – Thanks. I took a ton of photos and just picked three to convey their excitement.
@Erica – I can imagine. My husband also went through the same process, but now he just finds them obnoxious
@Ekua – It really does. On the surface, there’s this whole “lagom” restraint so when this happens, it usually shocks visitors to town. And yes, there’s definitely some alcohol involved. Swedes typically only get loud after a few drinks.
Interesting, this goes against what I would expect from Sweden! Are the kids drinking a lot as they celebrate?
These photos bring back some good memories from my own graduation. And I once visited Stockholm during the graduation days in late May/early June. A pleasant sight to see all happy faces and celebrations!
The first picture is by far the best. Top.
Hey strange! This sounds like a great tradition, and it looks like the kids are having fun. Love the photos ~ they definitely convey contagious exciement!
Across the border, the Norwegian graduates are called “russ”, usually wear red hats and suits and are even rowdier. Old traditions – and kids having fun (and not always within reason). No dump trucks here, though, but rather elaborately decorated, modern busses.