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

[DisneyLuver2013]

The title speaks for itself. Are graduation parties that big of a thing where you live?

We live in a fairly mid-sized town.

I'm going to be graduating high school at the end of next month, and have already gotten numerous invites on Facebook for graduation parties. Half of the invites are for close friends parties, but the other half of the invites are for people who I haven't even talked to this entire year. And then I see that the parties that I am invited to are inviting 70, 90, 100, 150+ people, and the invites are going out to people who the party throwers aren't even friends/family with! And I'm sure that gifts are expected at each graduation party.

I would never even consider having a graduation party that huge. I am going to have a small party and invite family and maybe a few close friends, but no gifts expected.

I guess that I'm looking at it as a gift grab. What are your thoughts on this? Are they really that big of a deal in the area that you live?

 

[mommasita]

Nobody has them here at all..

There is a Graduating Ball type of thing at a Hotel Downtown with a grand soiree with ballgowns and tuxes, limos.. Generally rooms are rented there or at nearby hotels, and that is that.. The kids go out to breakfast the next day, and o then home to crash.. Sometimes a parent will host the breakfast or a few of them, but generally they go out for it..

 

[lauradis]

The title speaks for itself. Are graduation parties that big of a thing where you live?

We live in a fairly mid-sized town.

I'm going to be graduating high school at the end of next month, and have already gotten numerous invites on Facebook for graduation parties. Half of the invites are for close friends parties, but the other half of the invites are for people who I haven't even talked to this entire year. And then I see that the parties that I am invited to are inviting 70, 90, 100, 150+ people, and the invites are going out to people who the party throwers aren't even friends/family with! And I'm sure that gifts are expected at each graduation party.

I would never even consider having a graduation party that huge. I am going to have a small party and invite family and maybe a few close friends, but no gifts expected.

I guess that I'm looking at it as a gift grab. What are your thoughts on this? Are they really that big of a deal in the area that you live?

Here in NE, ohio in our school area they are a big deal. Some crazier then others. Personally we only invited people we know etc and the guest list was around 100 people. Its not a normal party like birthdays say 2-4pm, its more like an open house from 3pm or 4 till when ever. Guest come and go.

Menus are normally what the grad wants, but mostly back yard pinic, bbq style.

decorations are mostly made up of all school stuff saved thru out the years.

Gifts range from dorm stuff to cash.

Most people don't view it as a money grab, but as a day long party to celebrate the start of new chapter in our child's lives.

Trust me when I say between the food, tent rental, booze and the entertainment. We didn't make money off this party.

I agree its a weird custom, but it was every enjoyable experience.

 

[ashley0139]

When I graduated high school, it was a huge thing. The major weekends had many parties and everyone party hopped. Tons of people went to everyone's parties. It was so much fun. The year I graduated I had a bouncy house and Moe's catering. It was amazing. Were there gifts? Sure, but I don't remember now what most of those gifts were. I do remember the amazing time I had and the people who came.

 

[Ambear]

If you're seeing 100+ people invited to parties on Facebook, I'll bet less than half of the people who said yes actually go. I notice that all the time with Facebook invites. People just invite their whole friends list and then those people accept without a second thought.

Grad parties are pretty popular here though. I'm sure some of them do get up to those numbers but I'm guessing not the majority. Most parties I went to had ~50 people. Cause like a pp said, they are pretty free flowing and people come and go. I enjoyed having a grad party less for the gifts and more for the cake lol.

 

[kimblebee]

Nope, not a thing here at all. I think they are a weird concept and I see them as a gift grab 100%. Why the need to invite 50 people to celebrate someone's graduation from high school? Wasn't that expected of them from the start?

 

[Miskey]

Here, after graduation, the grad goes home for a celebration with their families. Then a couple of hours later, the graduating class, and a lot of their parents, meet for all night activities such as softball, kickball, and swimming, ending with breakfast around 6am.

It is customary here that gifts are given to graduates by people who were sent a graduation invitation, and the gifts are usually sent via mail.

 

[5kidsmommy]

In NE Ohio also, yep it's a big deal here. I didn't want to have one for my son but we ended up doing a big back yard BBQ because otherwise he would have been the only one of his friends to not have one. It was nice too because he got to see a bunch of friends and family one last time before he went off to college. It was fun to do a party and yes people gave him gifts but trust me even with a BBQ we spent far more money that he got. He was happy though. He was able to set up a big display in the house of all his accomplishments over the years. And it's always nice to have a party with people you like.

 

[powellrj]

They are big around here, but they aren't a gift grab because the kids that go to each other's parties don't take gifts to each other. I know when we had our kids parties we planned them so they flowed with the other parties so the kids could party hop.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We had a party without gifts when our daughter graduated from college. High school graduations usually have a party for the whole class and their dates. No gift exchange.

 

[NMAmy]

They are big around here, but they aren't a gift grab because the kids that go to each other's parties don't take gifts to each other. I know when we had our kids parties we planned them so they flowed with the other parties so the kids could party hop.

It's the same way around here in Michigan and also in New Mexico where dd graduated from high school. It's an open house and high school friends can come and go from one party to the next. I remember how much fun it was from my own high school days and I still enjoy going to open houses each year--it's a great, low-key way to visit with friends and family.

 

[mom2rb]

I just sent out the invitations to my boys' graduation party. It will be a pool party in my back yard. It will mostly be family, I have a very large family. One of my boys is a dancer and one is a gymnast. I invited the kids on their teams. I think that I invited 100 guests, maybe 70 will show up. We didn't invite anyone from school because they will be at their own parties. The only people that will bring gifts will be relatives.

In my family graduation parties are a big deal, but we combine them. This year there are only my two, next year there are three cousins so they will share a party. Every few years we have only one, one year we had five cousins at the same time.

 

[Disneylover99]

Nobody has them here at all..

There is a Graduating Ball type of thing at a Hotel Downtown with a grand soiree with ballgowns and tuxes, limos.. Generally rooms are rented there or at nearby hotels, and that is that.. The kids go out to breakfast the next day, and o then home to crash.. Sometimes a parent will host the breakfast or a few of them, but generally they go out for it..

Yup, just proms around here at the end of high school. No graduation parties.

 

[Happy Snowman]

They are big around here, but they aren't a gift grab because the kids that go to each other's parties don't take gifts to each other. I know when we had our kids parties we planned them so they flowed with the other parties so the kids could party hop.

That is what they are like in our area as well. At most the kids might give each other a card but usually they just come. Yes, you will see a couple hundred kids show up at various parties but they rarely eat anything and typically stay for an hour or so and then go to the next party.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

They are big here too. Most common gift is money and a card. Then it is a food fest. We go to a few each year. Just had our sons last year but we only invited about 50-60 people. Some get well over 100+. One of our sons friends got over $5,000 in graduation/college money. Schools don't put anything on and if they did, most kids wouldn't go. 75% of the people are adults with kids coming and going. It can get expensive if you are invited to many of them but the trade off isn't bad. Food is always good, burgers to grilled steaks. Lobster and seafood to catered in BBQ and some families usually have an open bar.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Not really, here is small family party.

 

[Dawnlight]

I haven't been invited to one, but there are some people in our affluent town that do go overboard for any reason.

I think it's more of the same in the way birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings have gone- out to out-do the Joneses (or Cohens).

I prefer more modest events; birthday parties with family, at home, with a few close friends, religious life cycle events that focus on the milestone and not the party, and weddings that don't look like celebrity events.

If we do have a celebration to recognize our children's HS graduation, it will be modest and at home, or alternately maybe a day trip with family and a couple friends to a local amusement park or beach.

 

[MIGrandma]

They're pretty big here, I don't think I've ever known a graduating senior that did NOT have a party. Back when our kids graduated (1994 and 1997) we included invitations in the graduation announcements that were mailed to family and friends. Most kids have their parties at their own home, but some had them at the township hall too, or in the church basement. There is always food, and people usually give gifts or cards with money inside (mostly the latter). I think now with Facebook more people get invited than would have been years ago. Sometimes college graduates have parties too. Our oldest granddaughter will be graduating from college on Saturday afternoon, and is having a small party that night. Family and a few friends, nothing big.

 

[Laura66]

I've had 2 so far - I get a break until my youngest graduates!
Here in northeastern Ohio big parties are the norm. Caterers, tents, yard games . . . They usually last all day with close family arriving earlier and in the evening the kids all party hop and hit all their friends parties. I'd say most people get an average of 100+ people over the course of the party!
The big "meal" is usually served at the beginning of the party and pizzas and wings, desserts chips that kind of thing are ordered and served as the kids start to "hop".
Gifts from friends attending parties are not expected at all. Maybe close friends will give small thoughtful gifts like pictures in frames or picture collages. Sometimes their parents will send their kids with a small Starbucks or gas gift card - something like that of their child was a good friend of the graduate.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

A lot of kids here have really big grad parties but students who attend generally do not bring a gift. So many of the parties are on the same day that the students hop from one to another. We're just having a small family get together for cake in the evening after graduation. We opted not to have the big party b/c our money is going towards a WDW graduation trip in June!