For decades, students living in the Flogsta neighborhood of Uppsala, in Sweden, have been engaging in a unique tradition that has come to be known around the world as the “Flogsta Scream”. Every night, at 10 pm, they open their dorm room windows and scream out into the night as a way to relieve stress.
In most parts of the world, walking down the street at night and suddenly hearing human screams from the surrounding buildings would send cold shivers down your spine, but in the Swedish city of Uppsala, it’s just a part of daily life. Students attending Uppsala University have been practicing the Flogsta Scream since the 1970s, so everyone is well used to it by now. It’s become a campus tradition, and today universities actually remind students where and when they should scream.
In most parts of the world, walking down the street at night and suddenly hearing human screams from the surrounding buildings would send cold shivers down your spine, but in the Swedish city of Uppsala, it’s just a part of daily life. Students attending Uppsala University have been practicing the Flogsta Scream since the 1970s, so everyone is well used to it by now. It’s become a campus tradition, and today universities actually remind students where and when they should scream.
No one knows exactly how the Flogsta Scream began, but according to
Swedish archivist it actually began at the University of Lund, sometime
in the 1970s. Apparently, some of the students there saw a documentary
about primal screams and decided to use them as a way of relieving
stress before exams. The tradition caught on and was eventually adopted
by students at the University of Uppsala living in dorms in the city’s
Flogsta neighborhood.
VICE Magazine
reports that the Flogsta Scream remained a popular tradition
throughout the 80’s, but eventually died out until 2006, when a couple
of students hosting a radio show on the Uppsala student radio decided to
bring it back to break a world record. The tradition caught out once
again, and has remained popular to this day, thanks in no small part to
the university constantly reminding students when and where they should
scream, as well as local newspapers dedicating one or two pages to the
tradition ahead of every school year.
“The scream can be heard every evening at 22:00 on Sernanders väg in
Flogsta, from the windows of students who feel the need to let off some
steam,” the Uppsala University website states.
“At 22:00 precisely the windows open and the screaming begins. Decibel
measurements have been done, as well as film and sound recordings of the
phenomenon. The Flogsta scream has become a tradition, an attraction
and a much needed safety valve for all those who feel that a cry of
angst can work wonders for handling the stress and demands of student
life.”
