Trashed At Oxford

It’s summertime, the sun is shining, and you’ve just completed your final exam at the prestigious Oxford University. The first thing you can look forward to in your newfound freedom? A face-full of raw fish and custard.

Or, at least, a few years ago you could have. The tradition of “trashing,” originating in the 1990s, refers to the practice of Oxford students throwing things at their friends upon completion of their final university exams. The items range from champagne to eggs, flour, liver, and dog food.

In 2005, the tradition started to get pretty out of hand. Oxford street cleanups after trashing cost as much as £20,000, and one undergraduate even got an octopus thrown through his open window. Locals complained about food waste and foul-smelling streets.

As a result, the Oxford University Police clamped down on trashing. Knowing it would be impossible to eliminate the custom altogether, they cut back on the kinds of substances that could be thrown. Instead of liver and octopi, students throw much more harmless substances like confetti and glitter. So if you happen to be hit with a handful of glitter in the cobbled back alleys of Oxford  June—congratulations, you’ve just been trashed.