Prom Night

Today Prom Night is a high-dollar event with live bands and the newest fashions displayed, all held at a premier location. It seems like proms keep getting bigger and more elaborate over the years but they are really just getting back to the roots of Prom Night.
Prom is originally from Europe where it is known as the Promenade Ball. Every year there would be a ball held just for teens. In a prominent ball room all of the young people from wealthy families would parade in while being formally announced to the room. This ball was an opportunity for a young person to declare they were of a dating age and show themselves off for the night. The young women would buy new gowns of the latest fashion and the young men would be in formal dress of the times with the newest accessories on display. There would be live music that they would dance to throughout the night while they got to know each other. Families that were close to being affluent but not quite there yet would use this opportunity to introduce their child to other teens that they would not meet other wise. The Promenade was a very important, highly anticipated event.
In early America, the tradition was carried over on a smaller scale. It was a formal event that left out many teens that came from families with less means. These families that were left out started to hold their own version of the Promenade. They would organize formal tea parties at the local high school or college. The teens would be invited and would be told to wear their Sunday best. They would wear a simple corsage like they would to church. There was no big production, no fancy establishment, or expensive clothes. This simple event spread all over the country. Soon, every year at the local school the Prom was held in the gymnasium or even cafeteria.
After WWII when more Americans were enjoying a booming economy, the Prom started to evolve once again. One teen girl after another started to buy the new dresses for the annual dance. Soon it became the norm again to out and buy the hottest fashions by big name designers. Today, there is a planning committee that comes up with a theme, finds a hot spot in town to hold the Prom, and if they are lucky, hire the band. Young women have makeup and hair professionally done. The corsage and boutonniere are custom designed to match the dress and tuxedo. The Prom is once again the major event it was as the Promenade Ball.
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