Shaving foam flies as St Andrews marks Raisin Monday

Hundreds of first-year students in fancy dress streamed onto St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at 11am on Monday 19 October 2026, armed with cans of shaving foam for the annual Raisin Monday fight. The Guardian

The battle lasted about half an hour until the cans were empty. First years were then hosed down.

Raisin Monday is a ritual in which first-year students thank older students for mentoring them through their first few weeks of university. Traditionally, freshers gave those older students a pound of raisins, giving the day its name.

Each group's fancy-dress theme is chosen by matched second- and third-year students known as "mums" and "dads". This year, groups turned out as Smurfs, mice, bananas, grandmas, sunflowers and chefs. The university refers to first-year participants as 'children'.

St Andrews sits on the east coast of Fife. It is the third oldest university in the English-speaking world.

The foam fight caps a weekend of events. The traditional Sunday North Sea dip, held after the early-morning "kidnapping" of first years, was optional in 2026. Before the Monday fight, students were encouraged to donate to a local food bank. The Guardian

The university confirmed that students gathered on Lower College Lawn for the annual Raisin Monday foam fight on Monday 19 October 2026. University of St Andrews