Rain interfered with high school graduates' celebrations in Helsinki
Persistent rain on Saturday made a mess of the time-honoured tradition of new upper secondary graduates and other youngsters who had simply finished another year of schooling - to take over Helsinki's popular outdoor hangouts to celebrate and let off steam.
According to police estimates, a free afternoon concert attracted a crowd of 20,000 people to the Kaisaniemi Park. The rain that started towards the end of the event nevertheless cut short the outdoor merrymaking. After six o'clock the three traditional celebration grounds in central Helsinki - Kaisaniemi, the Kaivopuisto Park, and the beach at Hietaranta - were empty of revellers.
Some of the youngsters simply went home, others gathered in the few accessible public indoor spaces in the city centre, such as the railway station and the adjacent underground shopping area of Asematunneli.
In Asematunneli, a dozen police officers eventually broke up a crowd that had gathered to admire a group of boys performing a breakdance number.
Some youngsters simply sat on the shopping mall floor as if on a picnic.
Later in the evening, the new high school graduates with their customary white caps populated Helsinki's restaurants, nightclubs, and pubs, many of which had sold hundreds of tickets well in advance for the evening's celebrations.
This year, 32,000 students passed the matriculation exams and graduated from high school in Finland. Likewise, 63,500 pupils finished their compulsory comprehensive education.
Vocational schools discharged 31,000 students with a basic vocational degree, while 21,000 people graduated from polytechnic institutes.
Saturday also marked the end of yet another school year for 590,000 comprehensive school pupils, 116,000 upper secondary students, and 122,000 vocational institute students.
Helsingin Sanomat
