THOUSANDS of Cambridge University students flocked to a park for the annual ‘Caesarian Sunday’ drinking party — their first official summer party since the pandemic struck.
Around 2,500 undergraduates from the prestigious institution spent Sunday afternoon boozing on Jesus Green in Cambridge for the first time in three years.
Hordes of students began arriving for the event at around midday, wearing their university blazers or fancy dress and carrying bucket loads of booze.
Some students — donning pink cowboy hats and even an inflatable rhino costume — took part in a wheelbarrow race, while others were seen crowd surfing and playing cricket.
By the end of the afternoon’s festivities several students were worse for wear and could barely stand after downing copious amounts of wine and beer.
They then continued to drink into the evening, playing drinking games with funnels, then stripping off and jumping in the River Cam.
Some of the boys stripped to their boxers and jumped in the water, while a group of girls were spotted riding pink inflatable flamingos in their party dresses.
Six police officers were drafted in to control the raucous event and patrolled the park throughout the afternoon.
The event is believed to have originated from a disagreement around 85 years ago between two drinking societies who quarrelled over a bottle of stolen Pimm’s.
In the past the party began with a wrestling match between the Caesarian society and their Girton College drinking rivals, but this was banned by the colleges seven years ago.
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The event has attracted controversy over the years due to the heavy drinking and vomiting, with professors at the university previously appealing for students to hold the traditional event behind closed doors, not in public.
But their attempts failed because the undergrads said they did not want to drink under supervision.
Caesarian Sunday is viewed as the final hurrah before students knuckle down and revise for their exams.
But they still have the notorious after-exams party, Suicide Sunday, to look forward to in June.