Prom: A History

Photo courtesy of Flickr

One of my first impressions of prom growing up was from the horror movie Carrie, in which the main character is crowned prom queen as a joke and goes through what is possibly the most humiliating high school experience in history. Needless to say, the movie was not a good representation of what prom truly is – a formal event for high school and college students – a school tradition and a rite of passage. In honor of Vestavia’s prom this Saturday, we’ll take a deep dive into the history of prom and how it came to be what it is today.

The word “prom” stems from the promenade – a short walk debutantes took at balls. Debutante balls typically introduced young ladies to society as distinguished members, doubling as a sort of coming-of-age ceremony. Debutantes’ ages ranged from around 17 to 23, and the balls served as an opportunity for suitors and the debutantes to get to know one another. While debutante balls still exist today, their purpose has evolved from matchmaking to networking and community involvement.

 The exact path from debutante balls to modern-day proms is unclear, but most believe that colleges and universities hosted events modeled on the existing tradition, which then bled down to high schools. One of the first recorded instances of a prom was in 1894, as written by a student at Amherst College. Early proms were often tea parties or farewell events for the college seniors to learn social etiquette and accustom themselves to high society. As the years progressed into the early 1900s, the events began to take the form of banquets and dances, developing into the full-fledged proms we recognize today around the 1950s.

 Proms became bigger and bigger with the decades; though we see them now as major milestones of our teenage years, they used to be events where students could put on their Sunday best and be home by 8. The 50s were the turning point in that respect as the buildup to prom night became an experience in itself. Gowns grew more extravagant, dates and pairings became a center of attention, and proms spread to be a nationwide high school event, eventually crossing borders to regions in Europe and Asia as well. 

It’s easy to lose the essence of what prom was meant to be in the humdrum of preparation; some students even believe that prom night itself feels lackluster compared to the days leading up to it. There’s nothing wrong with taking the time to be prepared, but remember to take all the pretty photos, laugh with your friends more, and actually enjoy the night — you only get to have a prom twice.