Hundreds of Cambridge students gathered on Jesus Green yesterday (05/05) for a last hurrah before exams, with some students saying the sunny weather made it their best Caesarian Sunday yet.
Caesarian Sunday originated as an annual brawl between two drinking societies, the Jesus ‘Caesarians’ and the Girton ‘Green Monsters’. The tradition has since been banned but has evolved to become a day of fancy dress and heavy drinking for students.
Students and staff last year described the day as “tame”, but several told Varsity that this year’s C-Sunday exceeded expectations.
For many drinking societies, the day started as early as 7 am, with freshers having to complete initiation tasks. One student reported having to drink tuna water before jumping in the Cam. Others spoke of being blindfolded while having their face painted green to look like peas.
Police were in attendance alongside the Head Porter at Jesus, though no serious incidents were noted by attendees. One student noted “far more fines being levied to drunkards for not using the toilets to do their business” than last year.
Georgia, a former drinking society president, said this year’s C-Sunday was “by far the best’ out of her three years attending, adding: “The sun brought far more joy and silliness, even if it made our beers warm and virtually un-drinkable.”
“The costumes were better, the people were drunker, and the first glimpse of summer weather attracted more C-Sunday attendees than in previous years. Water guns (not filled with water) were a popular prop, with many victims being left red-eyed. We even had fireworks this year, something more exciting than the usual flares,” she said.
The day saw students engage in traditional C-Sunday antics, including drinking from beer gongs and climbing a lamppost while dressed in costumes ranging from cows to cowboys.
Despite high attendance, the event lacked the controversial incidents of previous years. In 2016, Varsity reported a fresher at Sidney Sussex being set on fire after dressing up in cotton wool for an initiation ceremony.
