The last day of school for the boisterous, laughing, screaming, beer and champagne-drinking school-leavers called Abiturienttis - or Abis for short - culminated yesterday in the traditional ride on open trucks through the city centre.

   

By one o'clock in the afternoon, some 3,700 school-leavers from 44 different senior secondary schools had gathered in Helsinki's Merisatama Harbour for the start of their truck ride.

   

After some waiting in the icy February wind blowing from the Gulf of Finland, the column of nearly one hundred trucks finally set off. Catch phrases shouted in unison told every passer-by what was going on.

   

"What are we doing? Finishing school! When? Now, now, now!"

   

And then the same in Swedish.

   

By the time the trucks reached Esplanadi, no holds were barred as the pupils expressed their elation. Political slogans and the names and chants of schools filled the air.

Crowds lining the streets

waved vigorously at the school-leavers, and were showered with sweets and candy in return. Children, who knew better, had prepared themselves with bags to put the collected sweets in.

   

The Abis had decorated both themselves and the trucks they were in. As usual, current topics and entertainment industry gossip and rumours were responded to, but even the war in Vietnam was remembered.

   

A group of pupils were dressed up as a Swedish ice-hockey team, whereas on another truck there was a cow with milk cans. The wintry weather did little to interfere with the celebrating, but it is unlikely that there would have been any "wardrobe malfunctioning" in this show. It was too cold for that.

   

When the pupils were asked about their feelings, even the most intelligent answers mainly consisted of screaming, laughter, and more screaming. How is one to describe the feeling when after 12 years of school, all of a sudden it is over? Clearly, being beside oneself with joy is the only correct way to respond to this, even if this is just a brief respite before getting down to work on final exams.