Queima das Fitas

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This next post will be an outfit one, but a little bit different, so please, bear with me. When I posted my uni outfitback in 2009 people were a bit confused about it, and I even got sent a few e-mails with questions. This post will be written regarding that outfit, and all the Portuguese traditions that concern it (also, it's REALLY long).

Tive a semana passada a minha última Queima das Fitas como estudante universitária. Como sou Coimbrinha, e até já tenho saudades da minha capa completamente negra (e rasgada), foi uma grande marca na minha vida, e como não fazia sentido por aqui fotos da bênção das fitas e do desfile académico sem explicar o que é às leitoras estrangeiras, vou fazer um breve apanhado do que é a praxe na minha faculdade, o traje e todas as tradições que andam à volta desse assunto. Como a maioria de vocês que estão a ler isto na língua de Camões sabem o que tudo isso é, este vai ser um post (enorme e) exclusivamente em inglês.

I'm from a town called Coimbra, in the centre of Portugal, especially famous for its university. Since I was a little girl I have closely witnessed all these "rituals" and loved them, that's why I was disappointed when my first freshman year was spent in Barcelona, where there is absolutely no academic life outside lessons.

Then I moved to Viseu, where I currently live, and on the first day of uni I was immediately hazed along with my colleagues. The older students, dressed in black with the scary cape, screamed at me, filled my hair and clothes with rotten eggs, flour, ketchup and anything else they had in hand. During the first term, you choose your "Godparent", an older student from your course that will help you with lessons, hazing (called Praxe) and takes you out for drinks (if you want to). 

 (All the freshmen from my year and "godparents". 50 points if you find me. Hint: I was a blonde back then and I'm next to my godmother)

Praxe lasts until half of the second term, when you can wear the uni outfit (called "traje", literally "suit") as a reward, and your "godparent" will put the cloak aroud you. During that week, there is a student festival, called Queima das Fitas, where are no lessons and there's a whole lot of concerts and stuff (at my home town, people drink more beer than at Oktoberfest!)