What IS Prom?

I know - you are all going crazy with proms this weekend. But stop for a quick break and think about something with me. What IS prom? Sure, we know it is a dance where kids get all dressed up and stay up late. But where did it come from and what is it REALLY? Dictionary.com defines prom as: “ student formal dance in celebration of graduation.” According to history, proms were held at the college level in the 1800s. They came to be in existence at the high school level in the 1920s and 1930s. They really took hold in the 1940s as America recovered from the Great Depression and World War II. They took the form that we know them now, fancier and more affluent, during the 1950s. But what is more interesting is what prom really IS. It is a big day in the life of these youths. They are at a turning point in their lives, when they are gradually turning from children to adults. Prom is one of the most notable of those turning points. Isn’t it wonderful that WE get to be a part of that day? We get to help them make new purchases that as children they wouldn’t have made (flowers) but will making for years to come? We get to briefly educate them about the wonderful part flowers can play in their “new lives.” Treasure this opportunity. It is not one that comes along everyday. Until next time...