Toskfammi

**Toskfammi** (lit. "graduates time") is a traditional period of celebration for Reshan, East Reshan, and Kypan high school students in their final year of high school. Students taking part in the celebrations are known as **fammi**. Toskfammi officially begins the week before final exams in mid-June, but most *fammi* begin celebrations on 1 June. The celebrations end the night before the beginning of final exams. It is traditional for participants to wear colored overalls, rent a bus, van, or boat (in coastal regions) with friends, and celebrate almost continuously during this period. Students who rent a vehicle typically party on it every night until the beginning of school the next morning from the beginning of toskfammi to its final night. While the celebration is commonly associated with drunkenness and public disturbances, it is generally accepted by society and government, who see it as a vital rite of passage.

## Duration

The festivities begin on 1 June nationwide. On this date, fammi are allowed to put on their overalls for the first time, board their vehicles, and they officially become fammi. From then on, celebrations happen almost nonstop until the night before final exams. While the final night of toskfammi varies per year and per county, it is nearly always on a Sunday. On this day, the fammi are awarded their hats and are allowed to ride their vehicles through their home city or town. The size of celebrations differs per day. Typically the largest celebrations occur on the first and last days of toskfammi. On the first day, fammi are "christened", and awarded their tongue-in-cheek fammi names (which are typically inside jokes) which are written on their hats, and are initiated into toskfammi by drinking a shot of absinthe, the national drink of Resha. The "Fammi Parade" occurs on the final day, and is typically watched by residents of the town or city from their homes.

## Function

Toskfammi is an important, longstanding tradition which was first mentioned in a 1620 journal entry of a student at an all boys gymnasium in Helmdat. Apart from being a celebration of the end of schooling, it has also become a rite of passage into adulthood, and a farewell to classmates from *skolskmajer*.

During the period, there are several *mutaskfammi* ("fammi meet-ups"), where all the fammi in a city or area meet in an open park or field and engage in celebrations. These celebrations typically include concerts, bus contests, and games, while alcoholic beverages and food are also sold.

While toskfammi is optional, it is looked-down upon to not participate. While some fammi object to alcohol consumption and partying, they typically celebrate in their own ways that do not infringe on personal beliefs. While this is not uncommon, there have been news reports of these fammi being bullied by traditional fammi, and sometimes being forcibly involved in cruel fammi pranks and games.

### Overall colors

There are several different types of fammi in the color of the hats and traditional uniforms most students wear during the entire toskfammi period. The color of the uniforms usually reflects what the student studied in school. However, in Southern Resha, Eastern Resha, and East Resha, the color is determined by the school. Typically in these areas, if the headmaster of the school was a navy fammi, the students will also be navy, regardless of what they are studying. In Kypa, all gymnasium students wear navy overalls, while all students at conservatories or vocational schools wear green overalls. The most common overall colors are yellow, navy, and black; which are the colors of the Reshan flag.

Yellow
Yellow overalls are for students studying gymnasium programs of social sciences, literature and history, or foreign language. It is the most common color.

Navy
Navy overalls are for students studying gymnasium programs of natural sciences or mathematics.

Black
Black overalls are for students studying gymnasium programs of law or business.

Red
Red overalls are for students studying at a conservatory.

Green
Green overalls are for students studying at a vocational school. As most vocational students complete their studies after their second year of high school, and then complete their apprenticeships after their fourth year, most vocational school students celebrate toskfammi twice. For their first toskfammi, they wear light green overalls, while for their second, they wear dark green overalls. Occasionally, fammi celebrating their first toskfammi order dark green overalls instead, as sometimes light green fammi are ostracized and have fammi pranks pulled on them due to their age.

White
White overalls are sometimes used for students who object to alcohol consumption and partying during toskfammi. However, in recent years the number of white fammi have been decreasing, due to a negative stigma attached to using the white overalls.

Miscellaneous
Typically, during kindergarten graduations, girls wear light pink fammi overalls, while boys wear light blue fammi overalls. Also, in Northern Resha, elementary school graduates dress up in orange fammi overalls during their graduation celebrations. However, obviously, neither of these celebrations involves traditional toskfammi festivities such as alcohol and partying.

## Groups and positions

Typically, fammi form groups (known as *fammiskgruppi*) prior to toskfammi. Each group is headed by the "fammi president", who is responsible for renting the group vehicle, handling finances, and is the spokesperson of the fammiskgrupp. A typical fammiskgrupp consists of anywhere from 7 to 20 members. Fammiskgruppi are formed in either the end of a student's third year of high school, or the beginning of their final year. Oftentimes, humorous honorary titles are given to members of the fammiskgruppi, such as "beer commander", "condom man/woman", and "party coordinator".

From all the fammi presidents in a certain school, an election is held to determine the "fammi messiah". The fammi messiah represents the school as a whole, and is responsible for giving interviews to local newspapers, organizing school-wide fammi events, and gives a speech at graduation. The role is akin to a "class president", but is purely ceremonial and does not count as an extracurricular activity.

## Events

Apart from nightly partying, there are several other events during toskfammi, some of which are organized by schools.

### *Fammiskdeffi*

The week that toskfammi officially begins (fammi begin celebrating on 1 June, but schools do not officially begin toskfammi until the week before final exams), schools organize *fammiskdeffi* ("fammi days"). Each day, the fammi are supposed to dress up in a specific theme. Some common themes include "Pajama Day", "Where You'll Be in 30 Years Day", "Superhero Day", and "Formal Day".

The only day that is found in nearly every school is "Army Day", which occurs on the final day of fammiskdeffi. During Army Day, classes are not held yet school is still in session. In gymnasiums, the yellow, navy, and black fammi each form a team and must shoot the others with water guns or throw water balloons at them. In conservatories and vocational schools, there is competition between neighboring schools instead of color fammi, as all fammi wear the same color overalls. It is common for younger students to be taken hostage and have water dumped on them.

### Patches

About a month before toskfammi begins, schools publish a list of about 100 dares and give them to all fammi. The dares are created by younger students in the school. For each dare a fammi completes, they earn a patch to iron on to their overalls. They have until the final day of toskfammi to complete as many as possible and earn as many patches as they can. The top five patch-earners in the school (or if there's a tie, however many are tied), are announced on the final night of toskfammi, and deemed *fammiskelit* ("elite fammi"). The five (or more) fammiskelit are then given a list of five fammiskelit dares, and all five must be completed by at least one fammiskelit. If they refuse to complete one of the dares, they are demoted to *fammiskmushk* ("bad fammi"), and must remove their overalls, spending the rest of the night naked. It is highly impressive to be a fammiskelit, and many previous fammiskelit remain proud of the accomplishment as adults. Meanwhile, it is highly shameful to be a fammiskmushk, although it has no actual long-term consequences.

Typical dares
* Drink a whole bottle of wine.
* Go a whole week sober.
* Pretend to break up with a random person in public.
* Walk around a supermarket on your hands and knees, barking at customers.
* Spend the whole school day on your hands and knees.
* Drink 24 beers within 24 hours.

Typical *fammiskelit* dares
* Dye your hair the color of your overalls.
* Tattoo "TOSKFAMMI" and your graduating year onto your butt.
* Donate $500 to charity.
* Hook up with someone of the gender you're not attracted to.
* Hook up with ten people in one night.

### Vehicles

Until the 1980s, fammi typically rented a large truck, and attached a self-made log cabin to the back, which they partied in. However, today, most students rent a *fammiskvan* or *fammiskbus* ("fammi van" or "fammi bus"). In coastal regions, particularly Southern Resha and Kypa, students occasionally will rent a boat or yacht, and party on the ocean. However, this is not advised due to the potential danger of partying while in the middle of the ocean, and it's out of the price range for most fammiskgruppi to begin with. Buses and vans are often painted yellow, navy, and/or black (in Resha and East Resha), or navy and/or green (in Kypa). Some fammi paint their vehicles the color of their overalls if everyone in the fammiskgrupp has the same color. Vehicles are often given special designs that make them unique to the fammiskgrupp. It is customary for fammiskgruppi to work on improving their vehicle throughout their entire final year of school, and sometimes even before then.

Renting a vehicle for toskfammi is often a financial burden, and is what most of the finances go towards. It isn't uncommon for local businesses to sponsor fammiskgruppi by giving them money for a vehicle in return for having their logo ironed on to their overalls or on their vehicle. The average toskfammi vehicle costs somewhere between $5,000 to $10,000 to rent, and the cost is split between fammiskgrupp members. Some parents begin saving money for a toskfammi vehicle from the time their child begins school. In more posh neighborhoods, some buses may cost up to $200,000. However, it's not uncommon for a fammi president to keep their vehicle, in order to hand it down to a younger sibling or their future children when they are fammi. There are also shops that rent out buses and vans for the purpose of them being used during toskfammi.

In recent times, fammi driving their vehicles has been a concern, as oftentimes they are under the influence of alcohol. Because of this, authorities in Resha, East Resha, and Kypa, have enacted a law that mandates fammi hire a driver for their buses or vans with a necessary license. If they are caught driving their own bus or van during toskfammi, they may be prosecuted even if they aren't under the influence.

### Cards

Schools offer services to create *fammiskkardi* ("fammi cards"). These fammiskkardi are personalized cards which display a fammi's picture, name, toskfammi nickname, overall color, school, graduating year, and a short slogan. The cards are traded with other fammi, or given to children and family members. For children, collecting fammiskkardi is often a highlight of toskfammi, and gets them excited for when they'll be a fammi.