Abi in Helsinki

One your way to work this morning you might have been wondering "What's up with all those dressed up youngsters on the street?". Well, today is not a normal day at highschools in Helsinki. The 12th graders celebrate their A-levels and turn every school into a madhouse.

In the early afternoon at around 13:00 all highschool graduates will come together for a big parade on trucks through the city center. If you happen to be in the center come to Esplanadi and follow it. It's quite fun to watch.

ABI in the city

Who ever has been to the city center somewhere close to Esplanadi around one o'clock saw it anyway. For the once who missed it: Today was Abi day. That means that the students from highschools in the whole country where celebrating their abitur (a-levels). For that occasion they go around the city center in costumes on the back of big trucks and party as much as they can. The students where quite lucky with the weather choosing a day with mild temperatures of just around -1°C.

Here some pictures:

Since I've never seen something like that anywhere else (at least not with those kind of trucks) it kind of also counts into the category of weird finnish vehicles, I would say. What do you think?