Students gathered at the University of St Andrews in Fife to take part in the annual Raisin Monday foam fight.

It is a tradition at the Scottish university and attracts scores of students and onlookers.

Students covered in shaving foam
Students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator’s Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews (Jane Barlow/PA)
Students covered in shaving foam
The foam fight is an annual tradition (Jane Barlow/PA)
Students covered in shaving foam
Scores of undergraduates look forward to the ‘welcome’ ceremony (Jane Barlow/PA)(
A student in glasses covered in shaving foam
The foam dousing is part of the first term fun at St Andrews (Jane Barlow/PA)

As part of Raisin Week, the university runs a mentoring scheme where freshers are adopted as “children” by older students, who act as their “parents”.

The tradition is intended to help freshers meet new people and settle in.

Students in fancy dress on university lawn
Students in fancy dress on university lawn (Jane Barlow/PA)
Students covered in makeup and foam
The annual event helps undergraduates to make friends (Jane Barlow/PA)
Raisin Monday 2024
Applying colourful makeup before the foaming begins is part of the fun (Jane Barlow/PA)

Raisin Week is so called because “children” traditionally gave their academic “parents” a pound of raisins as a thank you for welcoming them.

Laughing students covered in foam
The event is a centrepiece of undergraduates’ first term at the university (Jane Barlow/PA)
Three smiling student taking part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight
The foam event helps new students to bond (Jane Barlow/PA)
Students in floral headdresses and grass skirts covered in shaving foam
Some students donned floral headdresses and grass skirts before being covered in shaving foam (Jane Barlow/PA)