Graduation, and especially graduation from high school, can be considered a milestone in everyone's life. After all, the event is not only about the end of a lot of learning and the recognition of results, but also symbolizes the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is celebrated all over the world, so it can also be classified as one of the most important festive events in our country. It has its own ceremonial tradition, an important part of which is gift-giving.
Graduation is a tradition in Hungary and in Europe
In Hungary, the origin of graduation can be linked to a very specific institution and year. College nerds first graduated from the mining and forestry academy in Selmecbánya in 1870. The reason was simple, the students wanted to pay tribute to their teachers and fellow students. In the following years, the graduation spread like wildfire and became a habit here as well.
Although the students' graduation was exemplary, it is by no means unprecedented. In Germany and contemporary England already in the 16-17th century. In the 19th century, it was customary to say farewell to students at universities. Barely a hundred years later, in France, the custom has already seeped into secondary schools.
Today, most of us think of graduation from high school, but in the past it was associated with universities, primarily because obtaining an academic degree was considered a serious rank that had to be celebrated in some way.
Dropping out of high school only became widespread in Hungary in the first half of the 20th century. Primary school students started graduating only in the 1950s and it only became popular in the 80s. On the other hand, at some point, university graduation gave way to graduation ceremonies, although it can still occur as an additional ceremony in a few places.
Graduation habits
Graduation is celebrated in a similar way in most institutions, which has several elements, and teachers and students start preparing for the important day weeks in advance. The very first thing is to make the celebration clothes, because according to tradition, the students appear in the same clothes at the ceremony. Boys wear dark suits, girls wear black skirts and white shirts. This is followed by photography, as a tableau is also made of the proms, which are usually displayed in the shop windows of the city so that anyone can see them.
Serenade
The serenade usually takes place the day before graduation. The students gather around and sing goodbye to their teachers. This is usually followed by a small catering, where the instructors treat the now adult students with cake and a glass of drink.
Decorating the school
On graduation day, the school also getting decorated. The corridors are usually decorated by the classes that are one younger than the graduating class, they are often called the graduating class. It is not mandatory, but they often give their schoolmates a small graduation gift as a token.
School tour
Perhaps the most beautiful part of the celebration is when the graduating students, dressed in festive attire, walk around the school building with flowers in their hands while singing graduation songs. The most important of these is Gaudeamus igitur, which is a Latin student song and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Its first known version dates from the 13th century. In addition, in most cases, the Hungarian folk song Elmegyek, elmegyek and Ballag is also played. Of course, students are free to choose songs, but these are the most important.
Farewell, speeches
After touring the school, the teachers say goodbye to the students. Usually, the school director and class teachers summarize the past years and wish the young people every success for the future. It is common for a student to give a speech on behalf of the students, thanking the school and the teachers.
Celebration in a family circle
The final part of the graduation ceremony, when the celebration continues in the family circle. This is most often a joint lunch, during which the celebrant also receives a graduation gift from parents and relatives.
Graduation symbols
Graduation also has its own symbols, which are common almost everywhere and are an essential part of the festive ceremony. But what kind of symbolic message do they have? Because, of course, everything has a deeper meaning.
Haversack
The most important graduation symbol is the bag. This symbolizes the departure, that leaving the safety of the school, the students went out into life. It contains bread (or scones) salt and a coin. Bread symbolizes that there will always be something to eat. Salt is the taste of life, that is, to give the student a lot of joy. And the coin is a symbol of prosperity and security.
Flowers for graduation
The graduation flower is a representative of beauty, but at the same time it also refers to passing and saying goodbye. The students carry the flower in their arms to always remember the importance of the good times spent at school.
We wrote a separate blog post about what aspects should be considered when choosing a graduation bouquet, which you can read by clicking on the link.
Party dress
The festive attire is essentially a symbol of respect and celebration, which emphasize the seriousness and importance of the event, and the uniform dress refers to the students' togetherness. The beautiful dress is often complemented by the traditional student cap, which indicates belonging to the school. In many places, a decorative ribbon is attached to the graduation ceremony, showing the beginning and end of the studies.
Graduation gift
Since it is a serious event in a person's life, students have long received graduation gifts of greater value from relatives, provided of course that the family could afford it financially. One of the most common gifts was a watch or pocket watch, which, in addition to representing value, also drew attention to the passage of time.
Nowadays, it is less fashionable, but in the past the ring was at least as popular as a gift for graduation, and not only for girls, but mainly for boys. The ring was a symbol of coming of age. It is also a practical tool, at least in the past. The bachelors were given a signet ring engraved with either a monogram or a family symbol. Letters sent home could be authentically stamped or sealed with this.
The female equivalent of this is a necklace and bracelet. After all, girls who have come of age can now count on more serious suitors - and pretty jewelry can highlight the ladies' beauty and make them more attractive.
Today, almost anything can be a graduation gift, it mostly depends on your wallet. In addition to the jewelry mentioned above, students sometimes receive a more serious trip or even a car as a graduation gift, which is a symbol of adulthood in modern times. However, this is more of a glaring exception than the norm. Instead of gifts worth millions, most people choose a surprise whose value is more symbolic.
A graduation gift basket can also be associated with a symbolic meaning as a source of abundance that awaits us in life. The Merci Gourmet gift basket contains a lot of special delicacies, which can be enjoyed for a long time. From the silk grass honey produced by the producers, through the French champagne, to the mango-pineapple jam, it is full of gastronomic specialties. Of course, a nice message can be hidden along with the gifts for the coming years.
Who is usually given a gift at graduation?
A more serious graduation gift is, above all, for those leaving high school. At the same time, it is often customary to give a gift of greater value to a graduation ceremony, but it is not traditionally considered a graduation.
Parents often buy small, symbolic graduation gifts for children who finish their primary school studies. Giving gifts is not necessarily part of leaving kindergarten or nursery school, but of course the decision is up to the parents.
It should also be noted that it is not only students who receive graduation gifts, but they also often give gifts to their teachers as a way of thanking them for the past years. Most often, a graduation gift goes to the class teacher. A nice gift box, for example, is a perfect consideration for the occasion.
