May Week

This article is about the tradition at the University of Cambridge. For the celebratory week in Argentina, see May Revolution.
Fireworks of the St John's College May Ball 2014 viewed from Castle Mound.
Some participants of the cardboard boat race on Suicide Sunday 2012.

May Week is the name used within the University of Cambridge to refer to a period at the end of the academic year. Originally May Week took place in the week during May before year-end exams began.[1] Nowadays, May Week takes place in June after exams, and is a cause for great celebration amongst the students of the University. Highlights of the week include Bumps races, May Balls, June Events and garden parties.

History

Originally May Week festivities were held in May, in the final week leading up to the year end exams, but in 1882 the May boat races (known as the May Bumps) were moved to June and the rest of the activities followed suit.[2]

Suicide Sunday

Suicide Sunday is the name used at Cambridge University to refer to the Sunday immediately after the end of the summer term (known as Easter Term). By this Sunday, all students have finished exams but most of the results have not been published, so it is traditionally a period of nerves and suspense. The name, however, ironically refers to the celebration that students haven't committed suicide due to stress of exams. The event is for current students of the University of Cambridge but is frequented by former students that indulge in the student lifestyle.

May Week 2015

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Friday 12th

Robinson May Ball

The Greene King Twenty20 Varsity Match and Varsity Garden Party

Cambridge University Scavenger Hunt

Wednesday 17th

Magdalene May Ball Peterhouse May Ball

Friday 19th

Corpus Christi May Ball Darwin May Ball

Saturday 20th

Selwyn May Ball

May Week 2014

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Friday 13th

Robinson May Ball

Homerton June Event

The Cambridge Union Society Garden Party

Science Societies' Garden Party

The Wilberforce Society Garden Party

The Lucy Cavendish Summer Party

The Hawks' Event

Saturday 14th

The CUCA Chairman's Ball

Hughes Hall May Ball

Cambridge University Law Society Garden Party

The Gentlemen Patricians' Garden Party

The Gentlemen Wyverns' Garden Party

Adams Society Garden Party

The CUCA Garden Party

The Kitten Club Garden Party

The Lord's Cricket Varsity Match

Suicide Sunday 15th

Catfish May Ball

Emmanuel June Event

Murray Edwards Garden Party

Sidney Sussex Boat Club Garden Party

The Crescents' Garden Party

The Gentlemen Squires' Garden Party

The Idlers' Garden Party

Trinity College Science Society Garden Party

The Marguerites' Garden Party

Downing Tribal Barbecue

Cardboard Boat Race

Monday 16th

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Tuesday 17th

Christ's May Ball

Gonville & Caius May Ball

St John's May Ball

Newnham June Event

Cambridge Hub Garden Party

Wednesday 18th

Sidney Sussex May Ball

St Catharine's College May Ball

King's Affair

Pembroke June Event

Trinity Hall June Event

Thursday 19th

Clare Hall May Ball

Brighty's Garden Party

Marshall Society Garden Party

The Twenty20 Varsity Match

Friday 20th

GU Summer Ball

Darwin May Ball

St Edmund's May Ball

Wolfson June Event

CUGS Garden Party

Saturday 21st

May Week 2013

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Friday 14th

The CUCA Midsummer Ball

Robinson May Ball

The Cambridge Union Society Garden Party

Science Societies' Garden Party

The Gentlemen of St John's Garden Party

The Wilberforce Society Garden Party

The Hawks' Event

Saturday 15th

Hughes Hall May Ball

The Lucy Cavendish College June Event 2013

Cambridge University Law Society Garden Party

The Gentlemen Patricians' Garden Party

The Gentlemen Wyverns' Garden Party

Adams Society Garden Party

The CUCA Garden Party

The Kitten Club Garden Party

The Lord's Cricket Varsity Match

Suicide Sunday 16th

Emmanuel May Ball

Sidney Sussex Boat Club Garden Party

The Crescents' Garden Party

The Gentlemen Squires' Garden Party

The Idlers' Garden Party

The Marguerites' Garden Party

Downing Tribal Barbecue

Cardboard Boat Race

Monday 17th

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Cambridge Universities Labour Club Garden Party

Tuesday 18th

Downing May Ball

Homerton May Ball

Queens' May Ball

St John's May Ball

Wednesday 19th

Magdalene May Ball

Pembroke May Ball

King's Affair

Trinity Hall June Event

Thursday 20th

Clare Hall May Ball

Brighty's Garden Party

Marshall Society Garden Party

CUGS Garden Party

The Twenty20 Varsity Match

Friday 21st

GU Summer Ball

Corpus May Ball

Darwin May Ball -The Orient Express-

St Edmund's May Ball

St Catharine's College June Event

Wolfson June Event

Saturday 22nd

May Week 2012

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Thursday 14th

The Kitten Club Garden Party

Friday 15th

Robinson May Ball

Lucy Cavendish June Event

Downing Lady Orchids Garden Party

The Wilberforce Society Annual Garden Party

The Gentlemen of St John's Garden Party

The Hawks' Event

Saturday 16th

Hughes Hall May Ball

Peterhouse May Ball

CUSU LGBT Garden Party

The Gentlemen Patricians' Garden Party

Adams Society Garden Party

The Cambridge Union Society Garden Party

The Lord's Cricket Varsity Match

Suicide Sunday 17th

Emmanuel June Event

Murray Edwards Garden Party

Sidney Sussex Boat Club Garden Party

The Crescents' Garden Party

The Idlers' Garden Party

The Squires' Garden Party

The Marguerites' Garden Party

TCSS Garden Party

The Gentlemen Wyverns' Garden Party

Cardboard Boat Race

Downing Tribe - Tribal Barbecue

QEnts Presents "BOUNCE"

Monday 18th

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

St Catharine's College June Event

Tuesday 19th

Gonville and Caius May Ball

Christ's May Ball

St John's May Ball

Newnham June Event

'Without Borders' Garden Party

Cambridge University Punting Society Garden Party

CUCA Garden Party

Wednesday 20th

Sidney Sussex May Ball

Pembroke June Event

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday 21st

Clare Hall May Ball

Marshall Society Garden Party

Newnham MCR Garden Party

Cambridge Student Liberal Democrats Garden Party

Friday 22nd

Darwin May Ball

Homerton June Event

St. Edmund's May Ball

Wolfson June Event

Saturday 23rd

GU Cirque du Soleil Summer Ball

CUMexSoc Garden Party

May Week 2011

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Friday 17th

Robinson May Ball

Downing Lady Orchids Garden Party

The Wilberforce Society Annual Garden Party

The Gentlemen of St John's Garden Party

The Varsity Twenty20 Garden Party

The Hawks' Event

Saturday 18th

Hughes Hall May Ball

The Gentlemen Patricians' Garden Party

The Cambridge Union Society Garden Party

Suicide Sunday 19th

Emmanuel May Ball

The Crescents' Garden Party

The Marguerites' Garden Party

TCSS Garden Party

The Gentlemen Wyverns' Garden Party

Cardboard Boat Race

Downing Tribe - Tribal Barbecue

QEnts Presents "BOUNCE"

Monday 20th

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Tuesday 21st

Downing May Ball

Queens' May Ball

St John's May Ball

Newnham JCR Garden Party

Wednesday 22nd

Magdalene May Ball

Pembroke May Ball

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday 23rd

Homerton May Ball

CUSU LGBT Garden Party

Newnham MCR Garden Party

Friday 24th

Corpus May Ball

Darwin College May Ball

St. Edmund's May Ball

Clare Hall June Event

Wolfson June Event

May Week 2010

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Thursday 10th
Friday 11th

Robinson May Ball

Saturday 12th

Hughes Hall May Ball

Suicide Sunday 13th

Emmanuel June Event

Wyverns' Garden Party

Murray Edwards Garden Party

The Marguerites and Hippolytans Garden Party

The Crescents' Garden Party

Queens' Bounce

Monday 14th

Clare May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Downing Tribal BBQ

Tuesday 15th

Gonville and Caius May Ball

Christ's May Ball

Jesus May Ball

St John's May Ball

Newnham June Event

Wednesday 16th

St Catharine's May Ball

Sidney Sussex May Ball

Pembroke June Event

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday 17th

Homerton June EventSt Edmund's May Ball

Friday 18th

Darwin College May Ball

Clare Hall May Ball

Wolfson June Event

Saturday 19th

May Week 2009

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Thursday 11th
Friday 12th

Homerton May Ball

Robinson May Ball

Saturday 13th

Hughes Hall May Ball

Peterhouse May Ball

Suicide Sunday 14th

Emmanuel May Ball

Wyverns' Garden Party

Murray Edwards Garden Party

Monday 15th

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Tuesday 16th

Downing May Ball

Queens' May Ball

St John's May Ball

Wednesday 17th

Magdalene May Ball

Pembroke May Ball

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday 18th
Friday 19th

Darwin May Ball

Corpus Christi May Ball

Wolfson June Event

Saturday 20th

May Week 2008

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Thursday 12th

Homerton June Event

Friday 13th

Robinson May Ball

Saturday 14th

Clare Hall May Ball

Hughes Hall May Ball

Suicide Sunday (15th)

Emmanuel June Event

Monday 16th

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Tuesday 17th

Gonville and Caius May Ball

Christ's May Ball

St John's May Ball

Wednesday 18th

St Catharine's May Ball

Sidney Sussex May Ball

Pembroke June Event

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday 19th
Friday 20th

Darwin May Ball

St Edmund's May Ball

Wolfson June Event

Saturday 21st

Selwyn May Ball

May Week 2007

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Friday

Homerton May Ball

Robinson May Ball

Saturday
Suicide Sunday
Monday

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Emmanuel May Ball

Tuesday

St. John's May Ball

Queens' May Ball

Wednesday

Pembroke May Ball

Downing May Ball

Magdalene May Ball

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday
Friday

Corpus Christi May Ball

St Edmund's May Ball

Wolfson College June Event

May Week 2006

May balls June events Garden parties Other events
Suicide Sunday

Emmanuel June Event

Queens' Bounce

Monday

Clare May Ball

Jesus May Ball

Trinity May Ball

Tuesday

Christ's May Ball

Gonville and Caius May Ball

St. John's May Ball

Wednesday

Peterhouse May Ball

St. Catharine's May Ball

Sidney Sussex May Ball

Pembroke June Event

Trinity Hall June Event

King's Affair

Thursday
Friday

St Edmund's May Ball

Wolfson College June Event

References

  1. "May Week: balls, boats and bubbly". King's College, Cambridge. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  2. "We had a Ball" - William Ham Bevan. Cambridge Alumni Magazine, Issue 72 (Easter 2014)
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