Maturaball vs. Prom

Last night at the Maturaball, I explained to some of you that prom in the United States is very different. Our prom is always at the end of the school year, just before the senior students graduate, usually in May. Prom is really a dance for the seniors, but they often invite students from other classes to be their date, so I went to prom when I was a junior and a senior.

We choose a theme for our prom, and decorate like a Maturaball. The junior class has to pay for the prom itself (through fundraising), but the parents of the junior class pay for the "Party After the Party". We don't invite the entire community, and only a few teachers and parents are there to chaperone. Of course, we don't have any alcohol because the drinking age in the US is 21.

Girls have dresses similar to the ball gowns in Austria, but the boys have to rent a tuxedo. Before the prom, the boy picks the girl up and the parents take lots of photographs. The boy gives the girl a corsage (a flower she wears on her dress or on her wrist) and the girl gives the boy a boutonniere (a flower for his jacket lapel). Then they go to an outrageously expensive restaurant. Sometimes, a group of students will rent a limousine. It's not unusual for each couple to spend $1000 in clothes, food, transportation for prom.

At prom we don't have a Polonaise or a Mitternachtseinlage. It's really just a lot of dancing with a DJ. The Party after the Party is in a safe location where the students can go to play ping pong, billiards, laser tag, basketball, or just chill. Once the students go the PAP, they are locked in until about 6:00 am so they can't go out and drink and get in trouble.

If you want to hear more about MY proms (themes, my dates, my dresses, my flowers, the restaurants we went to) just ask!


P.S. Thank you, thank you, students of the 8A for including me in the Maturazeitung, for arranging my date ;-), and for the dances! I had SOOOOO much fun!!