In Sweden High School graduation procedures and celebrations happen early in June. Each school receives a particular graduation date from the School Board. In the bigger cities with many schools street life can be affected for up to ten days by the carnival-like buzz. The traditional white student caps will make it easy to connect certain pranks and happenings of the noisier type to the grad event.
At graduation day the students celebrate first in the school, often involving a lunch with various rituals and performances. Then the grads are ”released” class by class and present themselves to families and friends waiting outside in an upbeat mood, having come with flowers, small gifts, and a placards with name, class and a baby-picture of ”their” graduate. This is supposed to help the grad finding their loved ones in the crowd. It has been said that this search at times is hampered by the effects of a champagne breakfast many grads started the day with… But intoxicating beverages never have been a problem at all the celebrations I witnessed.
Upon joining family and friends the grad receives the small presents. Wisely, these are hung around the neck since the youngsters need free hands for all sorts of activities. Hugs, kisses and various joyous eruptions abound, while a lot of filming and picture taking in ever changing configurations is going on.
Eventually the grads are taken home by inventive means, vintage cars, cabriolets, motorcycles, horsebacks, tandem bicycles and such. For some years the trend went more and more towards big trucks, taking the entire class on a lengthy ride through the city, which is by no means a silent event. The trucks are usually equipped with powerful audio equipment and feature a supply of beverages… After some serious safety problems with whole groups dancing and celebrating on a truck moving in city traffic, the latest trend shows a bit of a decline of truck transport and a return to the individual or small group transportation.
It is amazing to see how the immigrant population in the suburbs of bigger cities embraces this very Swedish tradition and spices it up with a colorful intensity, exotic dresses, lavish flower bouquets and a lot of national flags draping the grads, signaling their ethnic origin. Some of these flags represent a people without a politically recognized country, e.g. Palestine, Assyria and Kurdistan.
For twenty years I have covered these events at “my“ Senior Secondary school in the Gothenburg suburb of Angered (pronounced 'Un-ge-raid). Pictures and image-shows were intended and used for the school's homepage, the school's internet newspaper and for other public relation purposes. Just like the events themselves, the image shows are quite similar from year to year. So seeing one in a way is like having seen them all. For me though they are a dear record of vital energy-kicks at the end of each school year. Teachers really need these boosts and usually find them in different ways. For me it was one of the most important feel-good events to mingle with the crowds and at the same time trying to capture joyous moments in school- and family life.
The show above is from my final active year, below a newer one I made as staff alumnus.
Further down you find grad image shows from 2013 and 2012.
Clicking on the HD mark lets you choose a resolution. “720p HD ”provides the best image quality. Please avoid “AUTO”, available for newer posts: Erratic jumps betwen high and low image quality can occur.
Unfortunately there is a problem with VIMEO at present. The jump between qualities can at times be observed at any resolution selected! Hopefully the situation will improve soon.
Important: To go back to the blog after full screen viewing just end the full screen option: Press "Esc" button on the keyboard or click on the "Exit full screen" symbol in the film's toolbar.
Not too much seems to have changed: A grad picture of my father in law (Harald Haraldsson, fifth from right), Stockholm - Saltsjöbaden, 1940
The three shows below are from 2013, 2012 and2010 respectively and depict the proceedings directly outside the school. The truck convoys heading for downtown and roaming about for some time would be worth covering too, but I can't be at two places at the same time...
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