Praxe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Praxe is a student's tradition in Portuguese universities and other institutions of higher education. It means a body of ritual and custom founded upon ancient traditions of the University of Coimbra, the oldest university of Portugal, which is an important part of the academic life. Every year, younger and older higher education students, celebrate together rich and vast traditions for being at an higher education institution. Tradition, ritual, humor, joy and parody, are some of the main ingredients of praxe, where older students tend to produce funny situations and jokes with the freshmen, giving at same time a warming welcome to them through initiation rituals. The ritual burning of the ribbons of Queima das Fitas, the tradition of ripping and tearing of the newly graduates academic suit, the tin can parade Festa das Latas, the Cortejo parade of Queima das Fitas, among many other rituals, are other Praxe's characteristics. In most universities and colleges, girls and boys have some gender-separated rituals.
[edit] History
The praxe, or more precisely praxe académica (academic praxe), as almost all the other student traditions in Portugal, was born in the city of Coimbra (possibly also at Lisbon in the beginnings), at the University of Coimbra, which started its life at Lisbon in 1290. The Latin expression Dura Praxis Sed Praxis meaning hard praxe but fair praxe, is the motto and principle respected for students inside the academy when performing praxe. Either that, or they were occasionally forced to do it. Through its history, in some places and occasions, "Praxes" could have been more or less violent and sadistic, which raised the outcry against them inside some institutions.
After centuries of praxe at Coimbra, the tradition started to be practiced in Lisbon and Porto in the 19th century that also started having higher education. Today, it is known everywhere, being replicated inside higher education institutions of any kind and origin across the entire country.
Its most primitive origin probably lies in the Spanish University of Salamanca (also founded in the 13th Century like the Portuguese university), where the first Portuguese university picked up some traditions.
[edit] Criticism
The "tradition" of praxe has been criticized for sadistic practices occurred in some higher education institutions, in most cases it happened inside smaller regional institutions. In this context, some older students were accused of going out of their way specifically to heavily humiliate younger students. Practices included simulated sexual activities between the younger students, forced pushups, using animal turd to "mark" students who don't obey or just at random, and there are disputes over the number of violent cases related to the tradition. The Ministry of Education was called by students who wished to see justice applied against abusers, as the institutions themself ignored their complaints. In some regional, or less traditional Portuguese institutions where Praxe Académica (among many other questionable things) is seen as a kind of informal certificate to promote the school to the good school status, instead of the effective quality of its curricular courses, teaching and pedagogic standards, genuine Praxe Académica is often corrupted, misused, and abused by some groups of students. And because of this are many IP Union groups revolting also.
