# May Week > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/May_Week > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/May_Week.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Week > Source revision: 1352920897 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Celebration of the end of the academic year at Cambridge This article is about the tradition at the University of Cambridge. For the celebratory week in Argentina, see [May Revolution](/source/May_Revolution). This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "May Week" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for events. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. Find sources: "May Week" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The [Trinity College choir](/source/Choir_of_Trinity_College%2C_Cambridge#May_Week) at *Singing on the River* 2016 [St John's College](/source/St_John's_College%2C_Cambridge) May Ball 2014 fireworks from [Castle Mound](/source/Cambridge_Castle) **May Week** is the name used in the [University of Cambridge](/source/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](/source/Bumps_race), [May Balls](/source/May_Ball), [June Events](/source/June_Event) and [garden parties](/source/Garden_party). ## History May Week festivities were originally held in May, in the final week before exams; however, the May boat races, also known as the [May Bumps](/source/May_Bumps), moving toward June, right after exams to celebrate the year end.[2] ## Suicide Sunday Some [cardboard boat race](/source/Cardboard_boat_race) participants on *Suicide Sunday* 2012 *Suicide Sunday* is the name used at [Cambridge University](/source/University_of_Cambridge) 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. A student-led campaign in 2015 encouraged use of the name "May Week Sunday" instead, though "Suicide Sunday" continues to persist among students and the public.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The name refers to the celebration of the end of exam term, in contrast to Caesarian Sunday on the day before the [early May Bank Holiday](/source/Bank_Holiday) which is named after the [Jesus College](/source/Jesus_College%2C_Cambridge) drinking society, the Caesarians.[3][4] Caesarian Sunday is traditionally a final opportunity for students to get drunk on [Jesus Green](/source/Jesus_Green) before exams begin. The events are for current students of the University of Cambridge but are frequented by former students that indulge in the student lifestyle. The Cardboard Boat Race is a main attraction to Suicide Sunday, offering an alternative to the many garden parties and more serious boating. The first race was in 2010, with three boats from [Magdalene College](/source/Magdalene_College%2C_Cambridge). In 2011, the race was opened to other colleges.[5] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["May Week: balls, boats and bubbly"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180202071538/http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/archive-month/july-2011.html). *King's College, Cambridge*. Archived from [the original](http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/archive-month/july-2011.html) on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "We had a Ball" – William Ham Bevan. Cambridge Alumni Magazine, Issue 72 (Easter 2014) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["CAESARIAN SHUN-DAY"](https://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2013/04/27/caesarian-shunday-20220). *thetab.com*. 27 April 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Inside Cambridge Drinking Societies"](https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/1223). *varsity.co.uk*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["2011 Cardboard Boat Race"](https://www.facebook.com/events/822698074443954/). *Facebook*. ## External links - [Listings with details of current May Balls / June Events](http://mayball.info/) v t e University of Cambridge People Chancellor Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice List of University of Cambridge people Colleges Christ's Churchill Clare Clare Hall Corpus Christi Darwin Downing Emmanuel Fitzwilliam Girton Gonville and Caius Homerton Hughes Hall Jesus King’s Lucy Cavendish Magdalene Murray Edwards Newnham Pembroke Peterhouse Queens’ Robinson St Catharine’s St Edmund’s St John’s Selwyn Sidney Sussex Trinity Trinity Hall Wolfson Schools, faculties and departments Arts and Humanities English Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic Architecture CRASSH Existential Risk Classics Divinity Music Philosophy Biological sciences Genetics Gurdon Institute Pathology Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Plant Sciences Botanic Garden Sainsbury Laboratory Stem Cell Institute Clinical Medicine Autism Research Centre Cancer Unit Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit Mitochondrial Biology Unit Oncology Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre Humanities and Social sciences Economics Education History History and Philosophy of Science Human, Social, and Political Science Archaeological Research Politics and International Studies Law Criminology Physical sciences Astronomy Chemistry Earth Sciences Palaeoclimate Research Geography Scott Polar Research Institute Mathematical Sciences Mathematics Theoretical Cosmology Materials Science and Metallurgy Physics Technology Business School Alternative Finance Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Computer Science and Technology Engineering Manufacturing Others ADC Theatre Professional and Continuing Education Library Press (journals) Student life Students' Union Graduate Union Air Squadron Amateur Dramatic Club Apostles BlueSci Cam FM Christian Union Conservatives Footlights May Week May Ball Labour Club Liberal Democrats Light Entertainment Society Moral Sciences Club Musical Society Philosophical Society Railway Club SCA Spaceflight Union Society Cambridge University Wine Society Varsity (student newspaper) The Mays Sport Association football Rules Aussie Rules Boxing Cricket Cross Country Dancing Golf Handball Ice Hockey Real Tennis Rifle shooting Rowing Openweight Men (CUBC) Lightweight Men (CULRC) Women (CUWBC) Rugby union Tennis Competitions Cuppers The Boat Race Women's Boat Race Henley Boat Races The Varsity Polo Match Rugby League Varsity Match Rugby Union Varsity Match University Cricket Match University Golf Match Affiliates Alan Turing Institute Cambridge Theological Federation Cambridge University Health Partners Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Partner institutions Animal Health Trust Babraham Institute British Antarctic Survey CCDC EMBL-EBI Laboratory of Molecular Biology NIAB Wellcome Sanger Institute Museums Fitzwilliam Museum Hamilton Kerr Institute Kettle's Yard Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Museum of Classical Archaeology Museum of Zoology Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences Polar Museum Whipple Museum of the History of Science Related Awards and prizes Cambridge Zero Regent House Senate House Old Schools Cambridge University Council Fictional Cambridge colleges Cambridge University Reporter Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [May Week](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Week) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Week?action=history)). 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