Editing Prom (section)

{{Short description|Formal dance for graduating students}}
{{Hatnote|Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see [[Prom (disambiguation)]]; the U.S. Air Force program [[Senior Prom]]; the 1946 film [[Junior Prom]]; [[Junior Prom (band)]]; [[Prom King (album)]]; [[The Prom Kings]]; and [[Prom Queen (disambiguation)]].}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025}}
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| image1            = Preprom.jpg
| caption1          = A typical gathering, with boys in [[tuxedo]]s/dinner suit, and girls in formal [[dress]]es with [[corsage]]s on their wrists
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| caption2          = Close-up of the corsages
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| caption3          = Decorating for prom, students put finishing touches on a ballroom at a banquet hall
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A '''promenade dance''' or '''prom''' is a formal [[dance party]] for graduating [[high school]] students at the end of the school year.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zimmerman|first=Jonathan|date=2013-05-03|title=Prom An Iconic American Tradition|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/05/08/the-prom-an-american-relic/|access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref><ref name=eo>{{Cite web|title=prom {{!}} Origin and meaning of prom by Online Etymology Dictionary|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/prom|access-date=2020-05-07|website=www.etymonline.com|language=en}}</ref>

Students participating in the prom will typically vote for a ''prom king'' and ''prom queen''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carlos |first=Amanda |url=http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2010/05/04/opinion/doc4bd9b2e0a9f91749406756.txt |title=Carlos Commentary: Summit students enjoy a successful prom |newspaper=Fontana Herald News |date=2010-04-29 |access-date=2010-05-05}}</ref> Other students may be honored with inclusion in a ''prom court''. The selection method for a prom court is similar to that of [[homecoming]] queen/princess, king/prince, and court. Inclusion in a prom court may be a reflection of popularity of those students elected and their level of participation in school activities, such as clubs or sports.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/?p=4466 |title=Hudson High Prom Court Nominations |access-date=2012-09-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025103619/http://hhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/?p=4466 |archive-date=2012-10-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://eyeofthetigernews.com/2012/03/09/roseville-high-school-junior-prom-nominations-should-be-based-on-more-than-popularity |title=Nominations Should be Based Upon More than Popularity |access-date=2013-02-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130410190356/http://eyeofthetigernews.com/2012/03/09/roseville-high-school-junior-prom-nominations-should-be-based-on-more-than-popularity |archive-date=2013-04-10}}</ref>
The prom queen and prom king may be given crowns to wear. Members of the prom court may be given [[sash]]es to wear and photographed together.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://glendalehigh.com/images09/prom-court-IMG_7356.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-05-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104053520/http://glendalehigh.com/images09/prom-court-IMG_7356.jpg |archive-date=2011-01-04}}</ref>

Similar events, which may be locally inspired by [[debutante ball]]s, take place in many other parts of the world. In [[Canada]], the terms "formal" and "Grad" are often used, while in Australia and New Zealand, the terms [[school formal]] and [[Ball (dance)|ball]] are most commonly used for occasions equivalent to the American prom, and the event is usually held for students in Year 12. Many schools hold a formal graduation ball for finishing students at the end of the year in place of or as well as a formal. In [[Ireland]], a ''debutante ball'' or [[Debs and grads|debs]] may also be held. In [[Poland]] and Lithuania, high schools organize a "[[studniówka]]" (lt. "Šimtadienis"). The term "prom" has become more common in the [[United Kingdom]] and Canada because of the influence of American films and television shows, such as ''[[Grease (film)|Grease]]''. In South Africa, this event is widely known as a matric dance / matric farewell as students in their 12th year of school are called matric students. In South Asia, its equivalent is a ''farewell party''.

Variation exists between different [[dialects]] with regard to whether ''prom'' is used with the [[definite article]] or not—e.g., whether one says "go ''to the'' prom" or "go ''to'' prom".<ref>{{cite episode|title=Kissed Her on the Stairs|series=A Way With Words|url=https://www.waywordradio.org/kissed-her-on-the-stairs/|series-link=A Way With Words|date=December 1, 2012}}</ref>