Prom Night in America

How the Prom Came to be

The word "prom" is short for "promenade" which is the original name for proms. Proms were begun in the mid-19th century among the Ivy League Colleges - the prestigious universities in the northeastern United States. The first proms were more like co-ed banquets, and were a way for college seniors to practice their social skills and etiquette before setting out in the real world to look for jobs and start families. 

As teenage culture grew and evolved, proms moved from college buildings to high school gymnasiums. By the 1940's, the traditional prom as we know it today had become a part of the school year for many high school seniors, and even some juniors. Even now, many high schools have separate proms for juniors and seniors, called junior proms and senior proms respectively.

In the 1950's, with the end of World War II, there was an economic boom throughout the United States. This windfall brought many proms out of high school gyms and into fancier locales, such as hotels or even country clubs. The change in venues helped to loosen up the traditions of the prom, which in turn helped the prom adapt to changing teenage culture. 

Although the prom may have fallen out of fashion a bit during the 1960's and 70's, it experienced a surge in popularity during the 80's and 90's and continues to be a source of the jitters for many American high school students today (#PRAHM is a common hashtag used on social media during prom season).

Prom Traditions

Since it has been and can still be a rather formal social event, the high school prom has various traditions that are associated with it. Even though some of these traditions have evolved or even gone the way of the dodo, there are many traditions that have stuck with the prom throughout the years.

Pre-prom: Getting ready

While some students will choose to go stag to the prom or go to their prom with a group of friends, it's most common for one student to ask another to go to prom as a couple. These proposals, sometimes called promposals, are usually simple but can also be pretty elaborate. Making videos, buying ads on billboards, and decorating lockers of the intended date are just a few of the examples of romantic ways to ask someone to the prom.

The days leading up to prom night can be pretty hectic too, as students busy themselves with buying, renting or even making their dresses and tuxedos; renting limos or trying to convince their parents to borrow the sports car in the garage; making reservations at nice restaurants and preparing other romantic gestures. Of course, a lot of kids will just skip all of this preparation, choosing instead to play prom night by ear.

Prom Night: Making Lasting Memories

As you can imagine, prom night is the source of a lot of anxiety for those who attend the dance. In order to help calm their nerves or just to get things done last minute, many high school students will skip class the day of prom. 

On the night of the prom, one student will often show up at the house of his or her date with a corsage or a boutonniere, which are small arrangements of flowers that the couple wear to the prom. Traditionally, women will wear corsages on their wrists, while men will wear boutonnieres on the lapels of their suits. After the couple have their pictures taken by doting parents, they head out to the adventure that is the high school prom. 

To try and give the dance an air of mystery and romance, proms will often have different themes. Prom themes are often based on romantic places like Paris, scenes from fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast, or glamorous locations such as the Hollywood red carpet. Once the dance is over...well, let's leave that to your imagination.

Prom Fun Facts

• In 1975, President Gerald Ford's daughter Susan had her prom at the White House of all places.
• Celebrities including Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry attended proms after they were asked by adoring high school fans.
• Many movies have had famous scenes at the prom, among them Back to the Future, Mean Girls, and Pretty in Pink. But maybe the most famous movie prom scene is from Carrie.

{{Brett}}
Founder of LingoMetro, Brett lives in Seattle with his wife and his cat, Tippee.