The clearest and most visible symbol of the teekkaris is the teekkari cap. That quirky tassel cap was adopted by engineering students in Sweden in the late 19th century. After various stages of development, there are now five different versions of the cap in use: the Oulu version, the 7-sided version for the Lappeenranta and Eastern Finland universities, the 8-sided version for Jyväskylä, the round version for Turku and the 6-sided version for Otaniemi, Tampere and Vaasa.

Use of the Tampere teekkari cap

The teekkaris of Tampere put on their caps on the night of the Wappunight in capping ceremony. During the summer, the cap can be worn freely until the last day of September, when it is laid to rest for the winter. Outside the period of use, the cap may only be worn with special permission. The teekkari cap is almost sacred to the teekkari, but it is not meant to gather dust on a shelf, but to be used diligently and with dignity.

How to apply for a licence

During the winter, the Teekkar cap should only be worn on occasions appropriate to its value. It is therefore not normally issued for occasions such as fairs.

Please remember to apply for a permit in good time.

In urgent cases, please contact the minister of teekkaris directly.

You can apply for a law licence here.

The Tampere's Teekkariwappu starts with the unveiling of Tamppi and lasts about two weeks every year. The Wappu culminates in traditional events, the biggest and most visible of which are the Capping and Teekkari dipping.

Teekkari dipping

Freshmen in Tampere have been baptised since the beginning of time. Originally, the baptism was the result of a crazy idea from the electricity department, which quickly took wings. On the eve of Wappu 1966, a few electric freshmen put together the first baptismal basket, called Amontillado. Nowadays, so many people go to the water that two baskets are needed for baptism, and thousands of spectators follow the baptism in Koskipuisto or via streaming.

The baptism on 1 May is the highlight of the Wappu and the whole year, and the most visible part of the Wappu in Tampere. Freshmen, or first-year students, can only call themselves teekkari after they have visited the warm embrace of Tammerkoski.

Capping

The capping takes place on the night between Wappu eve and Wappu day, starting at around 00.00, and that's when the freshmen can press their teekkari cap on their golden weaves for the first time. It's a raucous occasion, and if you want your cap to stay spotless, beware of sparkling wine splashes!

During the first verse, the cap is held on the right shoulder, during the second verse it is raised high in the air and at the beginning of the third verse it is pressed on the head.

Jäynäs

People often ask how to make a successful or even perfect jäynä. Defining a good jäynä and the formula for success is firstly boring, but secondly impossible. A teekkari jäynä lives in the present and what is fun today might not have worked a decade ago.

The idea of a jäynä is fun in principle, but the jäynä maker has to be careful at the planning stage to avoid problems.

Doing jäynä should not be a criminal activity in any form and should certainly not lead to legal action. It is also important to remember that not everyone has the same sense of humour as you!

Jäynä competition's fuksi series

The Tampere Teekkari's PerinneSeura organises an annual Jäynäkisa general series and a freshman series. The ranking of the guilds in Teekkari dipping is based on the results of the freshmen's series of the jäynä competition.

The freshmen series is a large and important part of the Tampere Jäynäkisa, even though it is only a fraction of the duration of the Jäynäkisä. The Fuksisarja as a whole is a two-week long run before and during Wappu.

Härwelis and Fuksi parade

The Fuksikulkue will run through the streets of central Tampere on the day of the wappu day, ending at the Koskenranta baptismal procession.

The procession is organised according to the success of the fuksi series and is made up of guilds carrying or pushing their own Härweli. A Härweli is a self-constructed piece of nonsense that is in some way witty, topical and perhaps also relevant to the sector. The best Härwelis are handsomely rewarded. The parade also tends to make a lot of noise, so there's a lot of singing and shouting rehearsed the night before.

Teekkaris' singing culture in Tampere includes both valuable more traditional songs, as well as more raucous and often humorous drinking songs. Tampere's teekkaris sing in the sauna and at parties, and of course at various events related to teekkari culture. However, the singing does not depend on time or place. The core idea of the teekkari singing culture is that there is no requirement for an actual singing master, but everyone can sing along according to their own ability. A teekkari sings rather than sings well!

Singing in Tampere

Teekkari songs are often made up by inventing your own lyrics to a well-known tune, such as a folk song or a current pop song. The singing culture in Tampere is constantly evolving, with new songs being written, for example, in the annual drinking song competition. But songs can also be born in unexpected situations.

Tampere's teekkari guilds also often have their own singing traditions, such as songs related to their own field. Guild-specific singing traditions are maintained by guild lukkaris, who are also responsible for leading the singing when necessary. The common singing culture of the Hervanta campus is mainly the responsibility of the teekkari section.

Many traditional songs have been twisted into completely new lyrics, which are sung at sittings, sauna nights and excursions. There are songs for all tastes: drinking songs, international songs, ballads, dirty green songs and even songs that are almost ready for publication.

Singing traditions

Like many parts of the Tampere teekkari culture, the oldest parts of the singing culture originate from the teekkaris of the Helsinki University of Technology. In Tampere, sitsis are concluded with the song of the Eternal Teekkari, composed in the 1920s, and the song chorus Teemu Teekkari, composed after the end of Prohibition in 1932, is still an important part of the singing tradition.

The Teekkarihymn

The singing culture of the Finnish teekkaris culminates in the Teekkarihymn, which has mystical origins and is also held in high esteem in Tampere. At midnight, the lights are turned off and the Teekkarihymn is sung with dignity, standing up and starting from silence. In Tampere, it is customary to sing the hymn three times at medium speed.

The song book

Tampere's own songbook, Rasputin, serves as the backbone of Tampere's teekkari singing culture. The songbook is recognisable by its white colour and the two red lines in the top corner.

The first edition of Rasputin was published as early as 1965, but after that the songbook tradition was interrupted for a while. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the songbook Wirsu, a common songbook for Finnish mechanical engineer students was the main source of inspiration for the teekkaris in Tampere. In 1995, the first modern edition of Rasputin was published, and since then new editions have been published every two years or so.

Choir activities

The choirs are well known for their role in preserving the singing traditions of the Teekkaris. In Tampere, choirs are maintained by the Tampereen Akateemiset Laulajat ry. Since its foundation, the association has been home to the Teekkari Choir and the TeekkariKvartti singing group.

The union's gong

The association has a gong, which can be used at larger annual galas as an aid for the lukkaris to distribute the singing lines. The gong can be borrowed from the board.

A few times a year, the teekkaris celebrate their annual gala. The dress code for the annual party is a tailcoat or dark suit, with a full-length evening dress for women.

Academic decorations are also usually worn at the party.

At the annual party, you should follow the rules of formal etiquette. However, the idea is not to stiffen up unnecessarily, but to have fun. Before the main party, there is a cocktail party for invited guests, during which various communities give away potentially large, heavy and useless gifts. Most of the guests, however, will arrive only for the main party. After the welcome toast, the dinner begins, during which loud drinking songs echo from the tables. Various speeches are made between courses. After coffee and cognac, dancing begins, followed by the first afterparty. As the morning dawns, there may be a after afterparty. The biggest celebrations only end the next day with a herring breakfast, more commonly known as a sillis.

Sitsis

Sitsis are smaller and less formal than annual parties. Guilds and clubs organise parties both to celebrate their anniversaries and with fun themes. People dress up for a sitsis, but not quite up to the mark. Men wear straight trousers and jackets, at anniversary gala sitsis black suit is also common. Women can wear trousers or a skirt of varying length. For the theme sitsis, of course, the aim is to dress according to the theme.

Good food, plenty to drink and lively singing are all part of the Tampere sitsi tradition. The sitsi meal is usually served from a standing table. Depending on the party and the theme, there may be a programme or speeches during the meal, and usually dancing at the annual celebration. Freshmen have the opportunity to practise their sitsi skills at the union's Fuksisitsis, which are held in the autumn and spring.

Dress codes

There is often a dress code for ceremonial occasions for teekkaris and other students. Dress codes help to create the right atmosphere and appearance for the party. For example, at an annual party, the dress code is often a dark suit or white tie on the party invitation. Dress codes are not meant to be hard and fast rules, but rather a guideline for how the organiser wants people to dress. Always remember that the biggest etiquette mistake is pointing out someone else's dress code or etiquette mistake! The most important thing is that everyone enjoys being at the party.

Smart casual

This dress code is very broad and can almost be summed up in one word: smart. Smart casual can be achieved in many different ways, but it typically involves clean, intact, neat and slightly more casual clothing than casual. Smart casual is a more relaxed outfit than a dark suit, so things like a tie or bow tie are not usually worn.

Smart casual can include items such as:

-a collared shirt, a cardigan, blazer, knit or other neat blouse or shirt

-jeans, chinos or other cool trousers

-dress or skirt

-neat, understated shoes in a muted colour

Black suit

The dark suit is typically seen worn at more formal parties, such as Fuksineuvosto fuksisits and annual parties of organisations. Miniature badges are typically used with a dark suit, but always check the guidelines for academic badges of honorary of the organisation that issued your miniature badge to see if it's appropriate!

A dark suit is typically one of the following

1. Black, dark blue or otherwise dark-coloured suit. Subtle striping is allowed, but chalk striping should be avoided. The shirt to be worn with the suit is white, especially for more formal occasions, but other muted colours are acceptable if the nature of the occasion allows. Shoes should be dress shoes. The colour of the tie or bow tie is optional, but the most formal choice is a pearl grey tie or black bow tie. It is generally not desirable to wear a watch with a suit.

2. One or two-piece full-length, ankle-length or knee-length dresses made of a festive material. A festive jumpsuit is also suitable. The colour of the outfit is irrelevant. Shoes should be formal shoes, with or without heels. Accessories should be festive. A watch is allowed, but it should be a jewellery watch.

In addition, a dark suit should be accompanied by an outer jacket that matches the outfit, such as a cardigan or other festive jacket.

White tie

A formal dress is the most formal outfit for an evening party and is also the most strictly defined. It is typically worn at the annual festivals of, for example, the Teekkari Union and the student unions, as well as at the annual festivals of organisations in the round year, and for some organisations also in a non-round year. Academic medals of honour are also often mentioned in connection with this dress code, and are discussed in more detail in the next section.

The formal dress is typically one or other of the following

1. Tailcoat. A tail coat suit may be substituted with a black suit, but never a tuxedo. When a black suit is used instead of tailcoat, it is desirable that the suit be black and the tie be grey. The pocket handkerchief is white and should show only slightly. However, if ribbons or merit badges are used with the formal dress, the pocket handkerchief is not used. A pocket watch may be worn with a tailcoat, but a watch is not recommended with a black suit.

2. A long dress made of festive material. The length of the dress should ideally be such that only the tips of the shoes are visible when standing. A festive jumpsuit is also suitable. The colour of the outfit is irrelevant. Shoes should be dainty, closed-toed formal shoes with or without a heel. The bag should be small and not include a strap. Shoulders should be covered, often with a shawl until the main course of the party. Jewellery should be understated, preferably silver or gold. For the rest of the party, you may wish to change the dress, for example, to a shorter one and the shoes to more comfortable ones.

In addition, long (= shoulder-length) hair should be closed.

A sufficiently festive jacket should also be worn outdoors, appropriate to the level of the outfit. A cape may also be worn with a tailcoat.

Academic decorations and miniature badges

Academic decorations include ribbons, merit and honorary medals, and the Kelpo Teekkari key, for example. Miniature badges are not really badges of honour, but are often classified as jewellery/ornaments. The most important rule with all badges is to carefully read and follow the guidelines for academic badges of the issuing organisation. However, the following section describes typical practices for academic honorary badges and mini-badges.

Traditionally, one ribbon has been used at a time in Tampere, but nowadays, and especially in other cities, one can also see several different ribbons being used. However, there should be a maximum of three ribbons. If more than one strip is used, the most valuable one will be the top one. You can use your own discretion as to the order of the ribbons, as long as you do not break the rules for marking the ribbons. Often, if you are representing a party, this ribbon is considered the highest. Ribbons can be narrow or wide, with the wide one often being more valuable. Decorations and medals of honour are often worn in the middle of the ribbon. The ribbon and other academic decorations should not touch bare skin.

Even among the miniature badges, only one, the most prestigious, has traditionally been used. However, if several miniature badges are worn, the most valuable should be higher up if the badges are attached to the lapel of the dress or closer to the heart if the miniature badges are attached in a row to a dress or other outfit.

Teekkari tempaus is an event that raises awareness of an important issue (socially or locally). However, it is not a demonstration. It is a good-spirited sharing of information and a teekkari activity.

Through the tempaus, teekkaris seek to make a difference in the world - but they do so in a teekkari way, with a twinkle in their eye, but with a seriousness of purpose. They often harness the collective spirit of teekkaris, to raise public awareness of a common grievance or to change attitudes. They may also have raised money for charitable purposes.

The Tampere Teekkarimuseo is a museum opened in 2008 on the Hervanta campus of the University of Tampere with the aim of preserving and presenting the cornerstones of Tampere's teekkari culture.

The first teekkaris began their studies in Tampere in 1965 at the Helsinki University of Technology's (TKK) side college, and since then Tampere has seen many different events, events and events organised by the teekkaris. Another museum dedicated to teekkari culture, the Student Culture Museum, can be found in Otaniemi, Espoo. The Student Culture Museum was founded in 1958 and presents the history of the student culture in a broader sense.

The Tampere Teekkarimuseo is located in the lower lobby of the Rakennustalo building on the Hervanta campus. The museum's display cases contain stories from our more nearly 60-year history in the form of guild and club objects and pictures of numerous events, events and activities. The museum tour will introduce you to Tampere's singing and sitsi culture as well as the numerous name changes of universities and student unions, not forgetting the two-week Wappua, which culminates in the Teekkari dipping organised since 1966.

The Teekkarimuseo is maintained by the Tampere Teekkarijaosto. Free guided tours of the museum can be requested by filling in the form here.