Graduation party. History of the holiday and traditions of other countries

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What is the history of the alumni

Celebrating the graduation party has long ago become a wonderful tradition, exciting the minds of graduates, their parents and teachers! Each year, the festivities become more lush and grandiose, becoming a subject of admiration and inspiration for new graduate classes from various educational institutions across the country.

But has anyone ever wondered where and when this wonderful tradition came from? How were graduation nights celebrated in Tsarist Russia, during the Great October Revolution and during the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics?

We suggest you take a little historical journey and get to know this incredible holiday a little bit closer!

The tradition of What is a Salutatorian? born by the last tsar of All Russia and the first Emperor of All Russia Peter I. At those times the first graduates who celebrated the termination of study so brightly, noisily and grandiosely, became pupils of school of mathematical and navigating sciences in Moscow.

We would like to note that the pupils of the Pazhesky Corps were distinguished by their special ingenuity during the celebration and even created their own unique tradition! Especially for the graduation party the pupils ordered rings with the same symbol. This tradition had a special meaning: thanks to the Pazha rings, graduates of different years could easily get to know each other.

It is difficult to imagine that at first girls were not allowed to such evenings. The appearance of young and beautiful noblewomen became possible only in the XIX century. But even here it was not without special intent! The glittering of noble girls at graduation parties was only a commercial enterprise: this way parents looked for gentlemen to their beloved daughters.

The Great October Revolution brought fundamental changes. After the events of 1917, the celebration of graduation parties was considered a bourgeois amusement and a relic of the past, and therefore they were simply banned. In the mid 30s, graduation parties in schools were resumed, but the former glitter of dresses, luxurious halls and festive atmosphere left no trace! Junkers and coquettes were replaced by Komsomol and komsomol, and parting speeches became an obligatory attribute of the evening. We want to note that we could not do without dancing after all. Besides classical waltzes, even bourgeois foxtrot and Charleston were performed.

A special period in the history of graduation parties was the Great Patriotic War. Unfortunately, it simply interrupted that tradition. Just imagine: on June 22, 1941, stately young men and beautiful girls enjoyed the holiday, and the next day were forced to go to the front. This beautiful tradition was returned to the post-war years. It was then that the graduation parties began to resemble modern festivities. By the way, a beautiful tradition to celebrate the celebration until the morning and to meet the dawn with classmates was born in that historical period!

In the 70’s there was a real revolution in the attitude to celebrating a graduation party. Young girls sought to stand out and surpass in the outfits of their girlfriends: they wore miniskirts that were prohibited at the time, made a perm and bright makeup. Fortunately, many girls, in the 70s, the school’s directorate did not throw away from the prom because of the abundance of cosmetics. For parents, this time was also a symbol of change! The prom night started to require a lot of money from them. On average, each family had to spend up to 45 rubles, which at that time was a very large sum of money!

The fall of the “Iron Curtain” finally confirmed the tradition of celebrating a graduation party in Russia on a large scale! We would like to note that in the 90s a symbol of special luxury was celebrating the graduation party on the deck of a pleasure boat rented by parents. That was when loud rhythms of modern music were added to the classical sounds of waltz.

From the beginning of the 2000s to the present day, the graduation party has finally established itself as one of the most important, memorable, fun and brightest days in the life of every person! This holiday is celebrated in beautiful restaurant complexes accompanied by a professional presenter and various artists. Graduates strive to stand out among their peers and present themselves at the celebration in the best clothes.

In addition, for some regions of the Russian Federation, the graduation party has become a general holiday! For example, in the “northern capital” of our country – St. Petersburg – the graduation party is celebrated by the whole city as part of the event “Scarlet Sails”.

Now that the history of the origin and development of this wonderful holiday is not a mystery, we suggest turning your eyes to other countries! You understand that each state has its own specific traditions related to the celebration of the graduation party?!

We offer to arrange a small intercultural exchange and be inspired by traditions of other countries!

There are two graduation nights in Australia: one for the tenth and one for the twelfth grade. It is customary for graduates to arrive at the ball by an unusual vehicle. This is not an easy task to accomplish, so graduates have to put a lot of imagination and call for all their creativity to help! To stand out among classmates, graduates go to the prom on fire trucks, tractors or even wooden cars.

In Sweden, the graduation party begins in the early morning with a festive breakfast of champagne. The celebration involves a strict dress code: for girls it is a white dress, and for boys it is a snow-white suit. The outfit is complemented by an accessory in the form of a white hat, on the lining of which all comers (classmates, teachers, parents) can sign a memory. At the end of the solemn part of school, happy graduates go out into the street and throw these very hats in the air. After that, former pupils get into cars with an open body, decorated with birch branches, play loud music and ride around the city. The holiday ends at home, where graduates invite numerous guests. Young Swedes find a note of practicality in their holiday! This is a great excuse for them to get desirable and useful gifts from invited guests.

In Norway, graduation parties are associated with a funny tradition. On the same day, graduates dress up in funny jumpsuits of a certain colour, which is associated with the chosen speciality for further education. For example, red jumpsuits symbolize economic specialties, and blue outfits indicate a desire to go to university. The celebration of the graduation party lasts 17 days – from the night of the first of May to the solemn parade in honor of the Constitution Day, held on May 17. During this period of time, happy graduates are allowed to do almost anything from minor pranks to extravagant antics. Adults and administration officials call it “the last sip of a carefree childhood”! In addition, the night of the first of May is given to graduates together with the city center!

French schools are a model of military discipline and strict subordination. That’s why at the graduation party students are allowed to relax and take a little “revenge” on the harsh system! French graduates throw eggs at the school, splash water on the most unjust and strict teachers, terrorize the school administration. Of course, the young French don’t break desks and boards in their classrooms, but anything that can be crushed on this beautiful day certainly becomes a target for them.

Poland has its own alternative to classical graduation parties – the stodniowka festival, which takes place a hundred days before graduation. The start of the festivities will be marked by a traditional polonaise dance, where the first couple will be the headmaster and one of the graduates. After that, everyone has real fun with dances and songs. If the venue becomes an educational institution, the alumni use all their ingenuity and creativity to decorate the hall accordingly. It is also very popular and prestigious among Polish graduates to celebrate in restaurants, pubs and clubs. Graduation evening in Poland implies strict dress code: boys are characterized by triple costumes or even tuxedos, and girls – evening dresses in dark shades.