sTYYlish May Day Eve 2025
May Day is coming again, are you ready?!
Get your mead brewing, find your student caps from the dusty shelves, sew all your patches, fetch you picnic blankets from the summer storage... It's time for May Day to start again!
May Day or "Vappu" is the Finnish version of Labour Day that we celebrate to honour working people. It is also the biggest student festival of the year, bringing together tens of thousands of students and other citizens of Turku.
May Day Eve starts with TYY and organisations giving out punch around the campus area. TYY's own Punch Stand is at the University Hill. Please check your own organisation's punch times below. You can also hear the kick-off of the sTYYlish Ticket chase at the University Hill at noon. Spot a TYY board member in a Vappu suit on campus and win tickets to various cultural events in the Turku area.
At 16.45, a traditional May Day Parade leaves from the University Hill towards the Turku Art Museum Hill, where the whole city gathers to listen to music and a speech from the Chair of the TYY Executive Board. At 6 sharp, we all put on our student caps (ylioppilas- or teekkarilakki). The moment when thousands of students and alumni with their caps have gathered at Aurakatu is by far the most impressive part of Vappu, so you definitely don’t want to miss this moment!
After the "capping" (Fin. "lakitus"), Vappu celebration continues in the Runeberg Park where dental students will wash The Lily of Turku statue and give Lily a student cap. At 19.00 the Technology students of Turku give Paavo Nurmi a teekkaricap on the other side of the road as well.
WHAT: May Day Punches, the Ticket chase, flag parade and the "cappings" of May Day
WHEN: 30.4. ~11-19.30
WHERE: University campus (outside spaces), Turku Art Museum Hill and The Lily of Turku statue
Schedule:
11.00–13.00 TYY's own May Day Punch stand @ University Hill
12.00 sTYYlish Ticket chase @ Campus area
16.45 May Day Parade leaves from the University Hill
17.30-18.00 Student caps on and a speech from the TYY executive board chair @ Art Museum Hill
18.30-19.00 Washing and giving the student cap to the Lilja statue @ Runeberginpuisto
19.00 Teekkarikomissio (technical students association) give a cap to the Paavo Nurmi statue @ Aurakatu x Hämeenkatu
Picture explained:
1. Educarium and Publicum courtyard:
2. Between Arcanum and Calonia:
3. Behind Arcanum (alongside Vatselankatu):
4. University Hill:
5. Student House B:
6. The surroundings of the cathedral:
NOTE! Here you will find the times and places where different organisations give out punch. This section will be updated after the registration deadline. So keep an eye on this page until May Day Eve the latest!