http://www.odditycentral.com/news/raisin-monday-at-st-andrews-university.html#more-20886 Freshmen have always had it a little rough in college, but at the St. Andrews University, in Scotland, their plight at the hand of senior students has become a celebrated tradition called Raisin Monday. The traditions of Raisin Monday date back to the early days of St. Andrews. New students (also known as “bejants” and “bejantines”) had to show their gratitude to seniors, for showing them the ropes around campus, and a pound of raisins was considered an expensive and tasty enough sign of appreciation. With the passing of time, some freshmen started ignoring the custom, so senior students came up with of receipts written in Latin acknowledging the receipt of the pound of raisins. If one of the freshmen students didn’t have such a receipt, he would get doused in one of the local fountains. Another reason for a dousing was the challenge of the receipt, by a senior, for mistakes in written Latin. Throughout the years since St. Andrews University opened its gates in 1410, the traditions of Raisin Monday have changed according to the times. Nowadays, new students have to buy seniors a bottle of wine as a token of gratitude, and the dousing in water fountains has been replaced by a general fight with shaving foam. http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Od_nrzVvZjd/Students+Celebrate+Raisin+Monday+St+Andrew/xnA5Fni6rfJ Students from St Andrews University indulge in a tradition of covering themselves with to foam honor the 'academic family' on November 22, 2010, in St Andrews, Scotland. Every November the 'raisin weekend' which is held in the university's St Salvator's Quadrangle, is celebrated and a gift of raisins (now foam) is traditionally given by first year students to their elders as a thank you for their guidance and in exchange they receive a receipt in Latin. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Gallery+Raisin+Monday+foam+fight/3866001/story.html Gallery: Raisin Monday foam fight! Students from St Andrews University indulge in a tradition of covering themselves with foam to honour the 'academic family' in St Andrews, Scotland. Every November the 'Raisin Weekend' which is held in the university's St Salvator's Quadrangle, is celebrated and a gift of raisins (now foam) is traditionally given by first year students to their elders as a thank you for their guidance. Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Gallery+Raisin+Monday+foam+fight/3866001/story.html#ixzz1aWZeCtOd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrews_University The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between 1410 and 1413, when a Papal Bull was issued by the Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII. In post-nominals the university's name was historically abbreviated as "St And" (from the Latin Sancti Andreae). St Andrews is considered one of the United Kingdom's best universities. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, when he returned to launch its 600th anniversary campaign, described the University of St Andrews as "far and away the best university in the world".[6] St Andrews is judged as world-class for teaching and research and is placed as the second best university in Scotland according to the 2012 QS rankings[7]; it is currently ranked as the third best university in the UK according to the most recent university league table produced by The Guardian (see Rankings of universities in the United Kingdom). The Times Higher Education World Universities Ranking named St Andrews among the world’s Top 20 Arts and Humanities universities in 2010.[8] St Andrews has a diverse student body and cosmopolitan character due to its over 30% intake of international students from well over 100 countries, with 15% of the current student body coming from North America.[9] Throughout its more recent history, St Andrews has maintained strong links with leading academic institutions in the United States and Canada, including a member of the Ivy League.[10]