The countdown to Valborg in Uppsala has started with the installation of a clock on Carolina Rediviva. The clock is ticking down the 23 days until April 30, when tens of thousands of people are expected to wave in spring in Carolinabacken.
On Tuesday, a countdown clock was installed on Carolina Rediviva in Uppsala. The clock counts down to 3 pm on April 30, when large crowds gather in Carolinabacken to celebrate Valborg.
Viveka Stolt, communicator at Uppsala University Library, said the waving tradition likely began 70 years ago. Then-rector Torgny Segerstedt and chief librarian Tönnes Kleberg went out to wave to students switching from winter caps to spring and summer caps. "For me, it is the highlight," Stolt said.
The event now draws tens of thousands of spectators each year. The countdown clock has been in place for over ten years and has become a tradition of its own, according to video technician David Hansson. "We have done that for over ten years now, and it is starting to become a tradition too," he said.
