Are you about to graduate and don’t know what to expect? Let me tell you some fun facts and traditions celebrated. Most know that graduation is a ceremony honoring students who have completed all their high school requirements. Most graduate their senior year, but you can graduate before if you have met all your requirements. Now that you know the principles of graduation let’s talk about traditions. 

         There are many fun graduation traditions. But the most important one is the ceremony. During this ceremony, each graduate is called up on stage and is welcome to give a speech if they like. Graduation ceremonies usually happen at the end of the school year around May or June. This ceremony marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life. It is a day to celebrate your achievements and be proud of all your work and careers that are yet to come. 

         On your graduation day you are required to wear a cap and a gown. Wearing cap and gowns has been a tradition since back in the 12th century. Originally cap and gowns symbolize recognition and achievement.  Here at Porterville High School, ladies wear an orange cap and gown. Meanwhile the gentlemen wear a green cap and gown. The colors depend on what school you’re graduating from. 

          Like most know, caps have a tassel. A tassel is an ornament made of bunches of laying cords that are fastened on one end. This tassel represents your time as a student. The tassel is supposed to lay on the left side of your cap and switched to the right during the ceremony. According to ABC News, “When you move it to the other side, you are confirming your new found graduate status.” The tassel is a recent addition to the graduation attire. It has been a tradition for around 50 years.

           Another very iconic tradition is the cap toss. According to ABC News, “Tossing the graduation cap in the air was started by the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912.”  The cap being released into the air happens at the end of the ceremony and signifies the liberation from the constraints of academia, signifying the graduates’ readiness onto their next life chapter. In other words the cap toss is a symbol of achievement.

          All in all, these are all the fun traditions you can do on your graduation. Go put your cap and gown on and have fun at your graduation and congratulations and good luck to the class of 2024! Panthers, we are SO PROUD of you!