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Prom
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In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a semi-formal (black tie) dance held at the end of an academic year. In the United Kingdom, the term is more widely understood to be in reference to a season of classical concerts or "proms", which have been held between July and September since 1895, today run by the BBC.
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In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a semi-formal (black tie) dance held at the end of an academic year. In the United Kingdom, the term is more widely understood to be in reference to a season of classical concerts or "proms", which have been held between July and September since 1895, today run by the BBC. The British synonym for the North American event would be Leavers' Ball, Leavers' Dinner, Formal or informally Leavers' Do, closer to the Australian description, although in the UK, many schools have called the above events proms in imitation of the North American tradition. In Canada and Australia the terms Grad or Formal are most common and the event is usually only held for those in their graduating year of high school or middle school.
While smaller schools may hold a school prom open to the entire student body, large high schools may hold two proms, a junior prom for those finishing their 11th grade year and a senior prom for those who are finishing their high school years. When the junior and senior proms are combined, it is sometimes traditional to have the junior class plan and organize the prom. Proms are mostly attended by juniors and seniors, but some schools allow all classes to attend, usually requiring that one of the couple be an upperclassman. At some high schools, school administration may limit participation to students of the school or nearby school. In rare cases, already graduated students may attend prom with students but the school will usually place age restrictions on such prom participants, requiring them to be under 21. Junior classes or Senior classes may participate in fund raisers throughout the school year to reduce the prom cost.
Prom tickets are sold at school and treated as school events. Prom tickets are traditionally purchased by boys for the couple, but it is not unusual for people attending prom as friends to purchase their own tickets.
The name is derived from the late nineteenth century practice of a promenade ball. The end of year tradition stemmed from the graduation ball tradition.
Pre-prom activities will typically include a visit to friends' homes for group photographs.
In North America, a group of friends might rent a limousine to transport up to ten people to prom.
Common prom activities include (but are not limited to) dining, dancing, the crowning of a prom King and Queen, and socializing.
For high school proms in the US, some communities hold "post-prom", an activity run by parents, teachers, and community leaders for prom attendees after the formal events. Post-prom may be held at a different location from prom and might include raffles, games or a late night meal. Post-proms are organized to discourage after prom activities such as under-aged drinking and sexual conduct. "Post-post prom" activities might be planned by couples such as trips to local parks or amusement parks.
Some universities and colleges have proms as well, depending on the size of the graduating class in a faculty or department.
Prom Attire
Boys usually dress in black tie (a dinner jacket and bow tie), sometimes with brightly colored cummerbunds or vests, though any sort of formal wear can be worn.
Girls traditionally wear formal gowns or dresses. The style of these prom dresses has changed over the decades. Most recently large ball gowns, slinky dresses and short length dresses have proved popular.
Girls purchase their prom gowns from specialised local shops, boutiques and more recently, internet retailers, with many girls purchasing their prom dress months in advance. There are dozens of specialized prom dress labels each releasing new collections each prom season. Some of the biggest labels include Mori Lee, Flirt, Precious Formals, Jovani, Sherri Hill (formally a Jovani designer), Xcite and Tony Bowles.
Despite the level of choice, one of the difficulties girls face when choosing a dress is the risk of wearing the same dress as another girl, which is considered socially embarrassing. Shops and boutiques have tried to deal with this problem by keep dress register books. These shops will use this book to register the dress purchased against the name of the prom it will be worn to in order to avoid selling the same dress for the same prom.
Traditionally girls will also wear a corsage given to them by their dates and girls give boys matching boutonnières to be worn on their tuxedos or waistcoats.
Prom king and queen
A prom king and queen are high school students, generally seniors, who are elected to be traditional prom "royalty" at some American high schools. The honor is usually bestowed by fellow students casting votes and electing their king and queen from a set of nominated candidates called the prom court. In general, kings and queens are involved in a number of activities including sports, extracurricular clubs, class offices, and other activities that get them noticed by their peers, which can lead to many votes. Candidates may also campaign for the honor.
The practice of crowning a prom king and queen is uncommon in Britain, Canada and Australia, though widespread in the USA.
Related social gatherings
Some American Christian high schools and colleges that disallow school-sponsored dances will host a Junior/Senior prom. Rather than dancing being the main planned event, a banquet is served. Typically, students still dress in formal attire and even bring dates. The tradition of Junior/Senior is popular at small Christian colleges such as Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois.
Other American high school dances are homecoming, Winter Formal, and Sadie Hawkins.
As described in the introduction, in British English, such an event might be called a ball. In Australian and New Zealand schools, the event may be described as a Ball, School Formal or simply Formal. If the event is not relegated solely to the final year, it is sometimes called a Dinner-dance, Leavers' Dinner, Debutante Ball or also Valedictory Dinner, usually so when the night includes a meal and is in the final year of high school.
In the U.S. a "formal" is typically a similar dance that is held by a fraternity or sorority affiliated with a certain college or university.
In Australia and Britain, the term "prom" has also come into usage because of the influence of American movies and television.
In the UK the School Prom was unheard of until the late 1990s. It was believed to start in Cambridge where every school in the area had a special "School ball". As the idea proliferated throughout the UK from 2000, the name changed to a "School Prom".
In Argentina there are also proms or "fiestas de graduación" for students finishing their last year of highschool. They will make a big party for teenagers in a local disco and school leavers usually wear a costume to be identified from the rest. They usually make a formal dinner with parents too, but students dress formally, boys in suit and girls in evening gowns.
In Austria the last year in Gymnasium is celebrated with a ball (the so called "Maturaball") usually in January or February. This dance takes place before the exams are written. Normally the ball is pretty formal, so that all the students come either with dress or with a tuxedo or suit. Often the students invite their parents and other relatives to come to the ball with them.
In Canada, most schools call prom "grad" and some of the aforementioned traditional prom practices, such as having a prom king and queen, do not exist or are slightly different. Usually, only the graduating seniors, family members, and invited friends are allowed to attend. Grad is more focused on the ceremonial aspect of graduation rather than the dance. The main event is usually the banquet, presentations by some of the members of the graduating class (music, song, speech, etc.), and address from the head of school. Although there is a dance component, it may not be as formal and anticipated as seen in American proms. Having a date is also not a major part of the Canadian prom or grad.
In Chile, proms or "fiestas de graduación" (graduation parties) are usually held at convention centers or hotels after the "licenciatura" or graduation from High School, and sometimes after taking the PSU (Chilean University Entrance Exam) in December. Students are expected to dress with evening dresses and tuxedos. They are allowed to go with a date, whether it is their significant other, a friend, or a relative. It usually starts by dancing a waltz with the opposite sex parent, and a dinner. After the dinner, the parents leave, and the dance starts until the next day. Food like hors d'oeuvres and a small breakfast and alcohol drinks are available during the party.
In Colombia many private schools usually have "proms" as well, in Medellin for example hotel rooms are booked for this purposes and alcohol is usually available.
In Brazil, bailes de formatura are usual at the end of high school and at college graduation. There's no crowning of a king or a queen in any fashion, but nightgowns and suits are required. Family may or may not be included, and there's usually a live band playing in a rent ballroom, or at least a DJ is hired to command the music. Youngsters often drink heavily at these balls.
In Egypt most private schools have proms similar to the USA.
In Finland the equivalent of the prom is called Vanhojen tanssit.
In Germany students celebrate their graduation from High School or Gymnasium with an Abifeier (from the graduation certificate or Abitur), "Abi-Party" or an "Abi-Ball" - although most British or American students would fail to observe any of the traditional formality found in their own events. Students are not compelled to wear tuxedos and the women students are rarely in ball gowns, apart from the "Abi-Ball" where students have to wear tuxedos and ball gowns. The event often follows a very rigid running order, with welcome, introductions, an award ceremony for students and then a series of student-organised activities that tend to make fun of teachers usually with a joke about their bicycles or an extended hagiography about the favourite teacher. This is followed by the school's own band or bands or even an extended demonstration of all of the artistic outpourings of the students and staff. The event normally ends with a DJ playing music. Alcohol is available at these events since the legal drinking age in Germany is 16 (for beer and wine) and most graduating students are 18 or older.
In India the equivalent is a farewell party or farewell gathering. The outgoing students are given a warm send-off by the junior students and staff. All the seniors are felicitated with souvenirs and best outgoing students are given awards.
In Ireland, this formal dance is called the Débutantes' Ball, or informally, the Debs. This is also a formal dance for students who have just graduated from secondary school (high school) and is traditionally held at some stage during September and October, after the students have finished exams and may have already entered university or employment, although in rural areas it often takes place in July or August. The same formal dance is also occasionally known as the Grad among students in all-male schools, but who would therefore invite girls from other schools and is, therefore, the same as a Debs. Though "Grads" can also refer to a less formal dance mid-way through the school year. Some all-boys schools have their Debs in January, February or March of their final year; this is a tradition followed by all boys schools in Limerick. Students who did an optional "transition" year from junior to senior cycle often get to attend the debs going into their final year and leaving their final year. Alcohol is available at these events, much of the year would be eighteen (the legal age for drinking in Ireland) but more 17 and even some 16, adults in Ireland tend to have a more relaxed approach to alcohol and there is minimum supervision at the debs.
In Italian military schools the equivalent is known as "Mak ? 100" because it takes place 100 days before the students' graduation in high school. In civil schools a party called Mak ? 100 is usually held every year (thus it is not restricted to graduates), sometimes in place of one of the final school days or in a discos; it is not a formal event, and the students will often perform cabaret shows in which they make a parody of their teachers.
In Lithuania, prom is held after final exams usually the same day when high school diplomas are presented, the event is called ileistuves. The more-less equivalent of prom is called imtadienis, which is happening around 100 days before final high-school exams (from imtas dienu -- hundred days), which is organized mostly for people who are just about to graduate and is orginized by junior classes.
In Malaysia proms are gaining more and more popularity, and being held by more schools, especially in the bigger cities. However, these gatherings are usually fully organised by students only, and the school administration is not involved.
In Pakistan the equivalent is farewell dinner and farewell function that takes place at the end of the college academic year. In farewell function one lady is appointed as "Lady of the Evening" and one guy is appointed as "Gentleman of the Evening".
In Peru, proms"Fiesta de Promocion"are usually held at hotels, convention centres or big residences (at the house of a graduating student, for isntance). The dress code is formal; some parents and teachers are often invited, but they don't stay the whole night. Dinner is served as well as alcoholic drinks and delicatessen; breakfast is often served the next day, at around 6-7 am.
In Poland the more-or-less equivalent of prom is called studniówka, which happens around 100 days before final high-school exams (from sto dni -- hundred days), which is organized mostly for people who are just about to graduate. People from other years cannot come by themselves, but are often invited by their older friends.
In Slovakia the closest thing to a prom is Stuková, an occasion when the seniors get together with their parents and teachers to celebrate their upcoming graduation. It takes place in November or December. Each of the students receives a green ribbon with their name on it (thus the name Stuková, i.e. the Ribbon Ball). Many of the students will wear this ribbon on their jackets or shirts for the rest of the year. Stuková typically includes a banquet, skits and songs prepared by students, and, of course, dancing.
In Slovenia the equivalent is Maturantski ples after graduating from high school. Students can bring dates and/or close family to the ball. It is a custom that each student dances the first dance of the night with his mother/her father.
In South Africa the equivalent is the Matric Dance, taking place during the matriculation (i.e. final) year of high school (12th grade). It takes place towards the end of the third quarter shortly before the spring break after which the Matriculation Examinations commence. It usually takes the form of a formal dinner and dance. In most schools the 11th grade class are responsible for arranging the event. Sometimes the teachers and parents also attend.
In Sri Lanka the equivalent is the graduation after-party, or batch party.
In Sweden this kind of event is usually known as Studentbalen. The word "Studentbalen" is in this case a proper noun meaning "The Student Ball", while the word studentbal is a common noun that can refer to any formal dinner and dance at a Swedish university. Studentbalen is usually held during the last weeks before graduating (Swedish: "Ta studenten") after three years in secondary school (Swedish: Gymnasieskola) and can be a quite formal, white tie event though the practice differs greatly between schools.
In Turkey the equivalent is called "Graduation Ball". The type and the rules of the organization are completely up to the school board.
In Vietnam the equivalent of the prom is called lien hoan cuoi nam.
Anti-prom is an alternative social gathering, usually held to protest a prom.
See also
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