- This article is about Russ, the Scandinavian cultural phenomenon. For other meanings, see Russ (disambiguation).
Russ (Norwegian) or rus (Danish) is a cultural phenomenon of the Scandinavian countries Norway and Denmark. When Norwegians finish high school, they become Russ, and celebrate with Russ festivities (russefeiring), which generally involve lots of partying, and for most people, getting really drunk. In Denmark, freshman college students are called Rus.
History
The word rus comes from Latin, Cornua Depositurus, which means to put aside one's horns, and an extra s was added in Norwegian. The tradition goes back to the 1700s. At that time, there were no universities in Norway, and Norwegians had to attend the University of Copenhagen to study together with Danish students. To be enrolled at the university, students had to pass the test Examen Artium. After having finished their examinations, horns were placed on their foreheads and they were made fun of by older students. When the results from the exams were ready, the students would participate in a ceremony called Examen Depositiones, in which they were called up to the examinator. If they had passed the test, their horns would be removed, as a sign of wisdom and subjugation of the wild animal in them. From then on, the young persons had the right to call themselves students.
The current Norwegian Russ tradition dates back to 1905, when the red Russ caps were introduced. The Russ caps were initially only used by boys and were inspired by German students, who in 1904 wore red caps when they visited Norway. In 1916 the blue Russ caps were introduced, by Russ at Oslo Handelsgymnasium, which is a high school with specialization in economics. The tradition of celebrating enrollment at a university is today continued in Denmark, but there are no longer any of the former rituals or ceremonies. Danish college students during their first week have Rus festivities (rusuge), but these days it's mostly a few parties where new students can get to know each other. In Norway the tradition has been, for about a century, to celebrate the end of 12 years of school. The russ festivities (russefeiring) in Norway, which can last several weeks nonstop, are today a much more major event than the rusuge for new students in Denmark.
Russ today in Norway
Starting officially on 1 May (but for many, much earlier), the Russ festivities last until May 17, the Norwegian National Day; the final exams are actually placed after May 17, however. (Earlier, exams were actually before May 17, but they were moved in an attempt to reduce the extensive Russ celebrations, obviously with little luck.)
Types of Russ
There are several different types of Russ; however, they differ only in color of their traditional overalls (which most Russ carry during the entire Russ period).
| Color |
Type of students |
| Red |
Allmennfag (maths, physics, biology, history, literature, English etc), who can go on to study in college. This is by far the most common color. |
| Blue |
Allmenfag with economics |
| Black |
Vocational courses |
| Green |
Agricultural courses, but is also used by some as an alternative to orange russ |
You are also a red russ if you take the "Music, Dance and Drama"- or the athletics-directional line of the school.
In addition, sometimes children in the last year of kindergarten call themselves half-jokingly "pink Russ", and in some places, children in the last year of ungdomsskolen (roughly comparable to junior high school) become "orange Russ". None of these have any real relation to the Russ celebrations, though.
The Russ use uniforms with their respective colours, and they have a Russ cap with a tassel at the end of a string, in which they tie knots, often with various items in it as reward for doing things listed on the russ knot list. (This cap is seldom used before the "Russ baptism", which is usually a few days before May 17.) This list was first introduced in the 1940s. The russ knot list is sometimes criticized because it often includes illegal acts, such as public nudity, and possibly hazardous, such as consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short time. But of course it's also possible to get these knots in a more peaceful, and lawful, way. Putting a "For sale" sign on a police car for example, or spending the night at a teachers house and making him/her breakfast in the morning, without being noticed.
Russ buses
Sometimes several people join together to buy a Russ car, or even a Russ bus, in their respective Russ colour. (This practice is more common in the more densely populated areas, such as larger cities and suburbs.) In the Russ vehicle, modern tradition requires an expensive stereo, bus sweaters, bus lighters, bus caps and a bus song, and also some sort of theme for the interior. Such buses are a large financial burden, a contribution of up to $20.000 per member has occurred. Most Russ have Russ cards, calling cards with their Russ slogan, their Russ name and their Russ picture. These cards are swapped with other Russ and given to kids or family members. The Russ take their final exams after the Russ festivities. Those who fail might even become Russ again the year after.
Cheating Russ
The Russ celebration is a cultural phenomenon in Norway, and many people both older and younger than the prescribed age want to be a part of the same phenomenon and culture. Thus, in recent years it has become more and more common that people not really eligible to become Russ (either because they have not reached the end of high school yet, or because they are already done) somehow manage to get Russ ID, become "cheating Russ", also called "fake russ" or "pirate russ", and join the parties. Of course, the Russ board attempts to keep the celebrations exclusive to those who are in the final year of high school, but they do not always succeed.
External links
Last updated: 08-24-2005 03:45:21
