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This article is about Russ, the Scandinavian cultural phenomenon. For other meanings, see Russ (disambiguation).

Russ passing by the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway

Russ is a tradition and cultural phenomenon in Scandinavia. In Norway, students who graduate from high school are called russ and celebrate with the characteristic festivities (russefeiring) during the first few weeks of May. In Sweden, a similar celebration is called Studenten ("the student"). In Finland students celebrate the start of the final test in a similar tradition called penkkarit. Also in Denmark graduation from high school (studentereksamen) is celebrated in similar ways as in Norway, including the wearing of caps in different colours and riding in open trucks, while the Danish term rus refers to first-year college students. This article focuses on the Norwegian celebration. There are many local variations of the russefeiring but the spirit of the celebration remains uniform across the country; it is a symbol of breaking free from the necessary shackles handed down by parents intended for the young generation's well-being and protection. It is a rite of passage, an abrupt way of ending childhood and of entering into adulthood, but it also marks accomplishing high school. The spirit of the russe-celebration represents exactly what Nobel Prize laureate in literature Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson tries to convey in the poem "Jeg velger meg April". Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Russ may have several meanings: Russ is a term used for a Norwegian student finishing high school, and about the following celebrations. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 660 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 660 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... For other uses, see Rite of passage (disambiguation). ... The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency. The work in this case generally refers to an authors work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes... Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson (December 8, 1832–April 26, 1910). ...

Etymology

The word rus is believed to come from Latin cornua depositurus 'bound to put aside one's horns', in the sense of going to sow one's wild oats [1]. In Norwegian, an extra s is added according to Norwegian spelling rules (double consonants after short vowels, even at the end of a word), which avoids confusion with the word rus (with a long vowel), which means "intoxication". In Danish, the two words are spelled the same way. For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

History

The tradition goes back to the 1700s, at a time when no universities existed in Norway, and Norwegians would attend the University of Copenhagen to study alongside Danish students. To be enrolled at the university, students had to pass the Examen Artium. After completing their examinations, horns were placed on their foreheads and they were ridiculed by older students. When the results from the exams were ready, the students would participate in a ceremony called Examen Depositiones, in which they were called up to the examinator: if they had passed the test, their horns would be removed, as a sign of wisdom and subjugation of the wild animal within. From then on, the young persons had the right to call themselves students. Events and trends The Bonneville Slide blocks the Columbia River near the site of present-day Cascade Locks, Oregon with a land bridge 200 feet (60 m) high. ... Representation of a university class, 1350s. ... The University of Copenhagen (Danish: Københavns Universitet) is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Copenhagen, Denmark. ... Examen artium is the name of the academic certification conferred in Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university programs. ...

The modern Norwegian russ tradition dates back to 1905, when the red russ caps were introduced. The caps were initially only used by boys, and were inspired by German students, who in 1904 wore red caps when they visited Norway. In 1916, blue caps were introduced at the Oslo Handelsgymnasium, a high school specializing in economics. For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Economics (deriving from the Greek words οίκω [okos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules hence household management) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. ...

The tradition of celebrating enrollment at a university is today continued in Denmark, but the former rituals or ceremonies are no longer practiced. Danish college students during their first week have rus festivities (rusuge), which in recent years mostly consist of a few parties where new students can get to know each other.

In Norway the tradition has been, for about a century, to celebrate the end of 13 years of school. The russ festivities (russefeiring) in Norway, which can last several weeks, are today a much more important event than the rusuge for new students in Denmark.

However, this does not mean that Danish youths do not celebrate the end of secondary education. In Denmark - as in Sweden - after completion of the student exam ("studentereksamen" - the Danish equivalent of the U.S. high school degree) the tradition is now to celebrate the end of secondary education by driving about either in a lorry or a horse and cart, and partake in festivities amongst the families of the graduating students. These celebrations often also go on for several days or weeks.

Russ today in Norway

The festivities officially start on May 1, though the celebrations may start earlier, and last until May 17, which is the Norwegian Constitution Day (National Day of Norway). On that day, they commonly celebrate with their own parades. The final exams are placed after May 17, however. Those who fail might even become russ again the year after. (In earlier years, exams were held ahead of May 17, but they were moved in an attempt to reduce the extensive russ celebrations, with little luck.) is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday each year. ... It has been suggested that National holiday be merged into this article or section. ...

Types of russ

There are several different types of russ; differing in colour of their caps and traditional uniforms (which most students carry during the entire russ period).

Red (rødruss)

Allmennfag (general studies) (mathematics, physics, biology, history, literature, English etc); media and communication, art, music, dance and drama; and athletics. This is by far the most common color.

Blue (blåruss)

Allmennfag (with economics), science, health and haircare.

Black (svartruss)

Vocational courses (like electronics or carpentry). Since Norwegian vocational studies consist of 2 years of schooling and 1 or 2 years of apprenticeship, black russ can choose to celebrate a year earlier than the others or to celebrate in multiple years. They become the working class of society later on.

Green (grønnruss)

Agricultural courses, but is also used by some as an alternative to orange russ

White (hvitruss)

In some regions, white russ can be athletics students or healthcare students. In other regions, sober Christians might use this colour, but in most regions they wear the same colours as their classmates. Christian russ might form their own groups to have fun together without peer pressure towards alcohol, sex and drugs.

Others

Sometimes children in the last year of kindergarten call themselves "pink russ" (rosaruss), or girls become pink russ and boys become light blue russ. In some places, children in the last year of middle school (ungdomsskolen) become "orange russ" (oransjeruss). None of these have any real relation to the russ celebrations, though. These celebrations have not become very common so far.

The russ wear uniforms with their respective colours. Attached to the cap is a tassel at the end of a string, in which they tie knots, often around various items that are rewards for completing assignments listed on the russ knot list. This cap is seldom used before the "russ baptism", which is usually held during the night to May 1. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Russ knots

The russ knot list was first introduced in the 1940s. The Russ knots, comparable to badges, is a common name for a wide variety of trophies symbolizing fulfilling a certain accomplishment during the festivities. There are a plethora of local knot rules for earning knots, as well as local variations for the same type of knot. The knot itself often consist of an item representing the accomplishment. For instance passing through the back seat of a car stopping on a red light, earns you a piece of menthos paper. These knots are then knitted and strung along the line extending from the russe hat, hence the name knot. The knot rules are sometimes criticized because it can involve illegal acts, such as public nudity, beating a person with a pink feather (earns a black feather) and possibly hazardous actions, such as consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time (earns a beer cap). Other, more benign tasks exist, such as putting a for sale sign on a police car, kissing a person of the same sex (pink feather), or spending the night at a teacher's house and making him/her breakfast in the morning, all without being noticed. In total, there are about 101 different tasks that can be performed to receive knots. (http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1015772.ece) For other uses, see Badge (disambiguation) NY NJ Port Authority Police Department Badge. ...

Here are a couple of russ knot examples.

- Having sex outdoors

- Going swimming in an industrial river

- Eating your own russ card

- Having sex in school

- Dating a junior

- Showering a junior with yogurt

Russ vans (Russebiler) and Russ buses (Russebusser)

In the older days russ often travelled around in an open lorry, either used as-is or with a do-it-yourself hut added to the cargo area. Today it is common for several friends to join together to buy a russ car (mostly small cities and densely populated areas), or a bus (primarily in the larger cities and the surrounding areas), painted in their respective russ colour. It is usual to paint with paint used for wood, but some have their car professionally sprayed and add vinyl decals to it.

Russ vehicles bought on the cheap have a reputation for being in a horrible technical condition. Inexperienced and intoxicated drivers, and in some cases even highly flammable moonshine, have contributed to fatal traffic accidents and fires in these vehicles. The Norwegian police take part in a concerted effort to improve the situation. Those russ that acquire a bus will usually hire a professional bus driver for the duration of the celebration, while van drivers might be an older sibling, friend, or a russ who chooses to abstain from alcohol. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Revenue men at the site of moonshine stills, Kentucky, 1911 or earlier For other uses, see Moonshine (disambiguation). ...

In the russ vehicle, modern tradition requires an expensive stereo inside the vehicle, and on buses, also on the roof (the largest systems allowed can have forty speakers which can generate over sixty thousand watts). Other, more optional accessories, include bus sweaters, bus lighters/key strings, bus caps and a bus song. It is also common to have some sort of theme for the interior and name/concept.

Such buses are a large financial burden; a contribution of up to $9,000 per member has occurred. Though, the average is $1-3,000 per member. Including sponsors the budget on buses can reach over $200,000.

Russ cards (Russekort)

Russekort from 2003

Most russ have personalized calling cards featuring their name, their photograph and a short slogan. These cards are swapped with other russ and handed out to children or family members; for many children, collecting huge amounts of russ cards is an important activity during May, culminating on May 17. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 450 pixel Image in higher resolution (2233 × 1257 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 450 pixel Image in higher resolution (2233 × 1257 pixel, file size: 3. ...

Russ newspapers (Russeavis)

In order to finance some of the administrative costs and/or other causes, many high schools create russ newspapers that contain fake news, a few words from the russ president, the official knot rules for the specific high school, etc. The most important feature of a russ newspaper, however, is a section that presents every class and every student with a photograph and a personalized biography, typically written by one or more friends, and always in a jocular and satirical style. The class may also write a similar entry on their main teacher; the teacher, in turn, writes about their class. The Russ' newspaper is written and published by Russ' executive board (Russens Hovedstyre).

Cheating russ

While the russ tradition is exclusive to graduating students, russ impersonation has in recent years become a problem as non-students, or students who are otherwise ineligible, wish to participate in the festivities. It is a testament to the popularity and allure of the tradition that some russ attempt to partake several years in a row.

See also

• Studenten, literally "the student", the Swedish and Danish equivalents.
• The student cap, which is worn by Swedish and Danish graduating students and can be of many different colours, depending on the type of education received.

In various European countries, student caps of different types are or have been worn, either as a marker of a common identity, as is the case in the Nordic countries, or to identify the bearer as member of a smaller corporation within the larger group of students, as is the...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Russ

• An article about russ from Aftenposten English
• Another article about russ from Aftenposten English
• Russen.no - Russ' official site (in Norwegian)
• Russ' executive board (Russens Hovedstyre) (in Norwegian)
• Russ.no - Russ portal and community (in Norwegian)

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...