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Writer: Graceana Sewall Hardy
Have you ever wondered whether other countries host prom? Well, look no further, as we have compiled a list of how Ireland, South Africa, and Poland all chose to celebrate their young adults, and make it a “night to remember!”
Ireland:
While The Debs is often referred to as Ireland's prom, a few key details emerge. The first being that there is no school supervision during them, and the school is not usually the one to put together Debs (with the event usually taking place at a hotel or large function room). The second is that alcohol is provided.
Irish students in their last year of high school don their best outfits, ask out their date for the night (for going alone is taboo), and sit through a formal dinner before the party starts. The party being several rounds of dancing and photoshoots, all washed down with an irish pint.
While some attempts at a ban of Debs have been made, organizations like DEBS Ireland still thrive, and Debs continues to be seen as a cultural rite of passage for the youth of Ireland.
South Africa:
Often considered closer to being the MET gala than prom, South Africa's Matric Ball is a glittering celebration of students near to graduation. Students strut a red carpet, flanked with friends, neighbors, and family, snapping pictures. Then, after a “long, boring speech”, the music is turned up and the dancing begins!
Due to South Africa’s status as a young democracy following the fall of the Apartheid, “There’s still a lot of physical separation between people…” Photographer Alice Mann says. “But this is a real joyous occasion. People are not immediately reduced to the context of their real lives”. The students are instead honored for their hard work and dedication, through this beloved young-adult milestone.
Photo taken by Alice Mann, from her book The Night is Young
Photo taken by Łukasz Gromolak
Poland:
Poland's prom is called Studniówka. The name Studniówka comes from the time at which it takes place: 100 days before the “Matura”, or exit exam for secondary schools in Poland (“Studniówka” coming from the polish noun “Studniowy”, meaning “Hundred-day”). The dance starts every time with a traditional polish dance called the Polonaise, before modern dances take the floor. Also brought onto the floor are several fun superstitions, all in the starry-eyed hope of bringing the students good luck to the fast approaching Matura exam. These include not cutting your hair after the dance, wearing red undergarments to the dance, and hopping on one leg around a monument.
In a time where international tensions feel as if they are growing tenser everyday, it's important to remember who we are beyond the flag we live under. Though not included here for the sake of time, most countries across the globe hold prom-esc celebrations of their youth, and the tradition has been found occurring on every continent (even Antarctica!). And, beyond that, the things that define prom itself are universal. Dancing, dressing up, and spending time with those you love are age-old human traditions that have continued to evolve in unique ways in the present day.
Sources from Image, Irish independent, Wikipedia, and The Face.
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