A graduation ceremony is a cultural tradition termed as a rite of passage. It is a ritual or ceremony that marks one stage of a person’s life to another. “Rite of passage” was termed by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in 1909 who believed that passage rituals had 3 steps: (1) Separation from Society (2) Inculcation-transformation; (3) Return to Society in the new status. All passage rituals fulfill certain universal functions: (1) Dramatize facing new responsibilities, opportunities and dangers. (2) Readjust the participant (and all in their social circle) to these changes. (3) They establish solidarity and sacredness of common values or rituals.
Each culture either creates it’s own rite of passage ceremony, or acquires one being handed-down (tradition) or both; and, will form a new ritual based on the current moment. The graduation ceremony dates back to the 12th century. Some feel it began with scholastic monks with their ceremonies in robes and has evolved to fit the society in which it is celebrated ever since.
The American Heritage dictionary defines this as:
(1) The degree of Bachelor conferred upon graduates of most U.S. colleges and universities.
(2) The farewell address delivered in the form of a sermon to the graduating class of a High School or College.
Graduation Ceremonies
The baccalaureate ceremony is considered the highlight of the school year. It is especially a time to formally recognize the achievements of students who are in honor societies and who have earned academic excellence. In other words, it’s for those who truly studied, did not cheat or steal ideas off others and truly were honest and who did not settle for “status quo” grades but worked to be the best of what they could be. The commencement is when the graduates are handed their diplomas and walk across the stage and flip the tassels on their hats upon receiving their degrees and handshake. (source: www.netglimse.com)/TE
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