Celebrating graduation in Denmark

Danish high school students graduate in June and there are many traditions associated with graduation. The students and their celebrations are highly visible in towns and villages and hard to miss or overhear. The period when students celebrate their graduation is called 'Student Week', although it actually lasts longer than a week. During Student Week, students participate in graduation ceremonies, student drives, parties and last but not least, exuberant celebrations in the city.

Student cap

You can recognize a graduating student by the fact that he or she is wearing a graduation cap. After the final exam, the family waits at the school and a chosen family member places the cap on the student's head. The student then wears their graduation cap from morning to night for the next 2-3 weeks. You may also see temporary workers at work with the cap on their head. The caps come in many different colors and the color represents the type of education the student has completed. For example, students at a general high school have a red band, while students at a business school have a blue band. Students at technical colleges have a dark blue ribbon and students at two-year colleges have a light blue ribbon. If you have combined a vocational education with an upper secondary education, the hat has a gray band. It's easy to tell from the colors what type of high school a student attended.

In Denmark, the student cap is the last remnant of the old school uniforms from the University of Copenhagen. In the 19th century, they came in two colors: black for the winter uniform (with a black jacket and long black trousers) and white for the summer uniform. When this school uniform disappeared in the late 1800s, the two hats came to denote two different types of student exams: the black hat denoted the classical language exam and the white one denoted the modern language and mathematics exam, both with a burgundy ribbon.

There are many traditions and challenges associated with the graduation cap. First and foremost, it should never be worn before a final exam as it can bring bad luck. The cap is used to write your exam grade, friends and family write little messages and greetings in the cap, and some even look for a greeting from a celebrity on the cap.

The student drive

One of the most famous traditions is the student run. It takes place between June 20 and July 7 and is very hard to miss. All students from a class gather in the back of an open truck. The students have a special permit from the police, which allows them to drive unrestricted.

The truck is usually decorated with branches and flags. In addition, students write funny and sometimes naughty or provocative messages on banners that they place on the back of the truck. The student drive usually lasts all day and follows a pre-planned route where you visit all your classmates' houses. Families are provided with snacks and drinks. The students who score the highest on the final test must run behind the truck to the first stop on the route.