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Vappu is a joyful holiday that begins the countdown to summer. Many universities in Finland have a lot of old Vappu traditions, and students in the technical fields are especially known for their celebrations during this holiday. As the situation with the coronavirus progressed, many of us were worried about Wappu being cancelled. However, the Aalto University Student Union AYY and guilds took care that a traditional Wappu could be celebrated remotely.

The festivities started already before the 30th of April when traditional Wappusitsit and Tour de Walpuri were held remotely.

Student caps for freshmen

This year, despite the surprising situation, the Teekkari Section under the AYY tried to organise remotely as many traditional events as possible.

‘On Wappu night, together with OUBS, we organised a Wappulive stream with performers and videos. The Midnight Teekkarihymni was also heard remotely via a stream’, says Pauliina Tomberg, Chairman of the Teekkari Section.

For a long time, Wappu has been an important celebration for freshmen, i.e. first-year students who receive their traditional technology student caps on Wappu. That’s why one of the great challenges this spring was related to the freshmen’s Wappu programme and the distribution of their student caps. The Freshmen Committee of the Teekkari Section solved the situation by arranging traditional events remotely, and the student caps were distributed by mail or otherwise without close contact.

Like every year, Wappu celebrations continued on the 1st of May. Many students enjoyed their Wappu picnic at home when AYY’s Wappu committee arranged Sillis as a Service -event. For a small fee, students living in Otaniemi were provided with Wappu-themed food and drink, as well as a remotely offered programme, such as bingo and live music.

Tomberg says it felt challenging to plan completely new events and concepts in an uncertain situation at such short notice, but in the end, everything went surprisingly well.

‘The best thing about remote Wappu was to notice people’s gratitude for doing events and creating a Wappu spirit, and on the other hand, an understanding of the challenge of the situation’, Tomberg says.