Suicide Sunday

Suicide Sunday is the name affectionately used at Cambridge University 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 the results have not been published, so it is traditionally a period of nerves and suspense.

Suicide Sunday immediately precedes May Week, which actually now occurs in June. May Week is a period of intensive party-going as all the college May Balls are held in this time. Suicide Sunday itself is usually occupied by attending numerous Garden parties held in the grounds of many colleges, which involve (for a ticket price of £10-£20) lots of food, alcohol and general inebriation. Tickets for garden parties are highly sought after and often first choice goes to members of the many college drinking societies[?].