TEEKKARI CULTURE AND OVERALLS

The Finnish polytechnic students are known for their unique student culture and traditions. The culture varies from city to city and here in Lappeenranta our own traditions and culture are unique. In Lappeenranta, part of the student culture here is the Skinnarila spirit. It means that here we are one big community, and we look out for each other.

From your first day on campus, you will be seeing a lot of different coloured overalls on students. The overalls may be covered in patches or modified in other ways. The overalls signify that the wearer is a student and the color tells about their respective guild or subject association.

One of the most important signs of a polytechnic student is the white tasselled cap. The Karelian polytechnic student cap or the Teekkarilakki is shaped like a hexagon but has a seventh corner on the right-hand side of the cap. It has a black tassel on the right side and red and black lining.

An important tradition involving the cap is the teekkari baptism. First year students, or freshers, are baptised to be teekkaris on the 30th of April. The baptism happens by sliding into the lake Saimaa. If the fresher has shown that they are actively participating in the teekkari culture, they are granted the permission to wear the cap at midnight on the 1st of May.

As freshers you will receive a fresher point card that has different tasks and activities related to teekkari culture. With collecting enough points to the card, you show your activity.

In Finland one of the most popular events among students is a sits party. Sits parties are essentially academic table parties that include singing, toasting drinks, food and dressing according to the theme. Sits parties have one or two toastmasters who’ll lead the event, determine the timing and length of breaks and which table will get their meal first. Toastmasters must be respected during the event and whenever someone is giving a toast, everyone must listen.