Hej, I am Aloka and I am a Global Health student at Uppsala University. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience my first Valborg in Uppsala. The history of Valborg dates back to the 19th century, marking the end of winter and the beginning of warmer weather. Winters are long in the Scandic region so Spring brings huge joy for all.
Students along with all the residents of Uppsala take part in the celebration. Beautifully decorated boats float on the river Fyris and people gather from the morning to watch them. At night people take part in bonfires and welcome the long-awaited summer.
I got up early and really enjoyed watching the colorful boats one after one. Some got stuck in the middle, and some finished like a pro. You cannot get tired of watching them all day. Then I watched the most infamous thing of Valborg, the Carolina countdown. Thousands gather in front of Carolina Rediviva (the university library), and at 3 pm in the afternoon they cheer together and wave their hats. From the balcony of Carolina, the rector, vice-rector, and others wave them back. Then students sing traditional songs. I missed the evening bonfire as it started raining and I felt tired of roaming around all day. It was not the best of weather, but the energy of the students was amazing.
For me, two semesters are over, and two more to go. I cannot explain how quickly the time passed here in Uppsala. They say it right ‘time files’.