Graduation Parties - Are they that BIG of a deal where you live?

[NAB]

Son is graduating this year too but no party is planned. Only Prom/after parties a month before that is what the kids are really looking forward too. Then at the end of the year in June they have grad ceremony at the high school and that will be it. We as a family might go out to celebrate since we have no other family here. There were no parties for any of my nieces or nephews either.

We only do normal grad pictures here too. My cousin lives in the U.S and their grad pictures include different locations and clothes changes. Here it is a school picture with hat and gown on that is it, more proof and poses then usual and they come in the mail instead of though the school.

We have to pay $210.00...$140.( 2 tickets) for prom dance/dinner, $40 for the year book, $30 for gown rental and grad ceremony. They also have to get there date approved by the principle if the student doesn't go to their school. I thought that was weird. Still have to fill out a sheet on who you are taking. Not sure what happens when people pick there date late.

 

[descovy]

Here (suburb in TX) and my hometown (small town in WA) Graduation parties are more like open house. So people come, say hi, eat drink and leave. So 100 is high, but not unheard of.

Gift grab? Not really. A lot of invites are kids' friends that don't really give anything. Mainly presents from family and close friends. My go-to gift is a check for $20.15 (or whatever the graduation year is) but only to family or close friends.

 

[StephMK]

Oops, sorry, double.

 

[StephMK]

Grad parties are very popular here. Most are a casual, open house and run several weekends around the actual graduation. The one we held for DD#1 was probably the most fun I'd had hosting any event. It brought together all of the people who she spent the most time with and had watched her grow up. She was very active in church and choir at school. Kids don't do gifts except for close friends. Since our families are out of state, it was nice for everyone to meet and help her celebrate. Definitely not gift grabs, just a time to celebrate and enjoy the end of a chapter.

Here the post-prom party is the big school event. It is HUGE. A committee spends a whole year planning it and takes over the school. Lots of door prizes, raffles, tons of activities, and food. It is way over the top and DD#1 had a blast. They have an open house beforehand so everyone can see what it looks like. It's in a few weeks and we're going to see how it turned out. It's a Disney theme!! DD#2 is bummed since she is a freshman and isn't going.

 

[bsblady01]

yes grad party's are big here in ny

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

They're popular in my neck of the woods. I'm graduating uni in a few weeks and I told my parents that if they have one for me, I'm not attending. I have zero interest.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Other than the graduation ceremony, no.

There is no such thing as Proms up here. At graduation there is a banquet/dance for all the grads. That's maybe our equivalent of prom.

 

[pigletto]

You must not be in Southern Ontario.
Prom is a big deal here. It's in late May. Grad is at the end of June. We'll likely go out for dinner after with grandmas and grandpas etc... but to answer the original question, no, people around here don't have big grad parties typically.

 

[DeaverTex]

Back when I graduated (Houston, Texas, 1969) a few of the more well-off students parents threw a party for their kids, but they were small and only for the in-crowd. Mrs. Tex (Fremont, Michigan, 1968) says it was the same there/then. It was pretty much the same when Tex Jr. graduated high school, but that was a small private school with a significant proportion of well-off students so there were a few graduation parties, but small. The big event was senior prom back for the two of us, and Senior Banquet (no dancing at that school!! ) was the big deal of the senior year -- the equivalent of senior prom.

 

[indimom]

Prom is weeks before graduation here. (In fact, DD went to one last week, and will go to another next week.)
There is no "after-graduation" event.
Most kids get some type of graduation party during the summer between senior year and college/communitycollege/job/whatever.
Some are smaller, more intimate. Ours will be large. We have big families and lots of friends who will expect an invitation.
It will be at home, but I'm having it catered so that I can relax and enjoy the day too.
It's definitely NOT a gift grab, although I'm sure there will be gifts.
This is the ONE large event our kids get for coming of age, so to speak. College graduation is not celebrated the same way. We have not had a family or friends' birthday party since the kids were small.
Works for us.

 

[maslex]

We have graduation parties here. My oldest son went to a couple last year for his friends. Basically an outdoor BBQ type thing. We also had this same for him when he graduated last year. We had burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, pasta salads, fruit salad, chips, corn on cob, etc. We have a pool, so everyone brought their bathing suits/towels. We also set up our yard with a bunch of yard games for people to play (volley ball, horseshoes, cornhole, ladder game, etc) Then at night we lit the fire and had smores. A few days later I saw a tweet from him that said, "Best day ever".

Now we get to do it all again this June. My youngest son is graduating high school. Man, where does the time go??? I asked if he wanted a party and what kind...he said the same that his brother had.

Then on the night that they graduate, we bring them out to dinner to wherever they want.

 

[CdnCarrie]

You must not be in Southern Ontario.
Prom is a big deal here. It's in late May. Grad is at the end of June. We'll likely go out for dinner after with grandmas and grandpas etc... but to answer the original question, no, people around here don't have big grad parties typically.

Nope Manitoba. The word prom is never used here. The schools here just have a formal dinner followed by a dance after exams in the end of June. It's called grad. It's the only formal night in high school.

 

[okeydokey]

Some people have them here in North Florida and some do not. Overall they are not really a big deal.

Then again there are a lot of things that are a big deal in other parts of the world that aren't here, promposals, baby reveals, Sweet Sixteen, elaborate weddings, prom, homecoming. People celebrate a lot, but nothing seems over the top.

 

[Minnesota!]

The school/PTA/student council doesn't do anything for grad? So it's all up to families to host private parties? That is different.

We had prom and then the high schools (at least the few in my neighborhood) sponsor a lock-in at the community center or at the actual school after graduation. We had a hypnotist, caricature artist, snacks, dance, open gym, etc. at ours. Went from 6pm - 6am. Awesome way to end high school

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't remember any students bringing gifts to their fellow graduates' parties when I was in HS. But yes, there were tons of these parties.

 

[pooh4evr]

Here most people have parties. The night after graduation the schools usually do a lock in sort of thing at a rec center or at the schools. These are HUGE- everybody gets big prizes, from computers, mini fridge, gift cards and $. The classes fundraise for these for 4 years. Started doing them in the 80's to keep kids from going out after graduation, and drinking and stuff. Anyway back to the parties- most are graduation weekend or soon after- BBQ, open house kind of things, mostly for family and friends, lots pf people.

 

[937darlene937]

Around here Graduation is a big deal. Tent set up in case of rain. We have catered food/ plus some homemade as well. Desert table. Backyard games, photo booth, table of pics on science board with awards and achievements, candy buffet bar, and Table with jenga that guests will sign or leave favorite memory. Photographer. Music/DJ, and card/gift table. Cost probably around $1200/$1500.00 give or take. It's not about achievement. We all want and expect our kids to graduate. It's about milestone. The end of being a child/teenager. The beginning of becoming an adult and moving away to college. A celebration. We all give our children birthday parties every year even though we know they are going to be a year older. So a graduation party is just as important or more actually. Just saying.

 

[mjkacmom]

Around here Graduation is a big deal. Tent set up in case of rain. We have catered food/ plus some homemade as well. Desert table. Backyard games, photo booth, table of pics on science board with awards and achievements, candy buffet bar, and Table with jenga that guests will sign or leave favorite memory. Photographer. Music/DJ, and card/gift table. Cost probably around $1200/$1500.00 give or take. It's not about achievement. We all want and expect our kids to graduate. It's about milestone. The end of being a child/teenager. The beginning of becoming an adult and moving away to college. A celebration. We all give our children birthday parties every year even though we know they are going to be a year older. So a graduation party is just as important or more actually. Just saying.

I know you bumped up a zombie thread, but when you say “we” give our children birthday parties every year, you don’t think most people do, right? I mean sure, when they are little, and sweet 16’s for girls, but that’s it, I don’t know of anyone who has yearly birthday parties.

 

[PollyannaMom]

It varies around here. Some people do dinner out with family, some do open house type parties the weekend after graduation. My extended family tends to cookout type parties later in the summer - more like a "going away to college" theme. So DS's will be like that. (It worked out, as that freed him up to go to classmates' yesterday.)

As for gifts - I think they're the norm from adult relatives who attend (or far away ones who send a card & check) but not from classmates who are just invited to stop by over Facebook.

 

[L&Lfan]

I don’t really remember but to the best of my knowledge they certainly weren’t a thing in South Carolina back in ‘78 and ‘82 when I graduated. I just went out to dinner with my immediate family after the ceremony. But maybe we were just a quiet family.