University of Helsinki
The Academic Year of the University of Helsinki begins officially on the 31st of August, when the Opening Carnival takes over the Main Building of the University (Fabianinkatu 33/Unioninkatu 34) and its surroundings.
Carnival starts twelve o’clock by the opening ceremonies at the Great Festival Hall of the Main Building, where there are speeches from the University and Student Union and other program. After the ceremonies on the Great Hall, the academic parade walks from the University to the Cathedral of Helsinki (Tuomiokirkko), where the opening service takes place. Same time there is secular occasion at the Festival Hall of University’s Language Center (Fabianinkatu 26).
Two o’clock the carnival itself begins on the New Side of the Main Building (Fabianinkatu 33), where the stalls of the different student organizations conquer the corridors and halls. On the stalls there are different kind of competitions, candies, selling of overall-badges and more of different activities. Older students wear their student overalls, where the badges are sewed. Overalls and badges tell about which subject the student studies or in which student organization he or she is member.
Stalls and program are also in the Entrance Hall of the Porthania building (Yliopistonkatu 3) and on the streets around the Main building and Porthania. On Fabianinkatu there are the street table parties, where the Organizational Committee of Student Union holds as example typical table parties of the Finnish students with songs and food. On the street there are also an ice cream van, music and the bouncy castle by the Cultural Committee of the Student Union, and other fun.
After the Opening Carnival different student organizations have their own freshman activities all around the city during September, so take contact to your own subject organization or other student organization which you are interested of, and follow their events in the websites and Facebook. If there is no information in English, don’t be afraid of to ask for it.
Freshman weeks culminate in the end of September to the Freshman Adventure of the Student Union, which is the biggest new student’s happening in Finland. Freshman Adventure happens on the 30th of September and more information about it is coming on September. So follow the Student Union’s website or Facebook-site (HYY).