a time for celebration

Today was the annual celebration (majales) for the schools in Policka. It is started off with a parade with all the classes from the top high school (in Czech "gymnasium"). Each class dresses up as something different in the hope of being awarded the prize for best costume. This year consisted of: old men and woman (the girls where the men and the boys where the women), monks, toilets, hippies, things from Egypt (including pyramids), Mexican swine flu, and Arctic explores with penguins. It was a lot of fun for me, since I know a quite a few of the students from our English classes (and most of them waved to me!). After the parade there are performances in the center of town and games for the younger students in the park.

Before the start of the parade I started thinking about when I was graduating from high school, and honestly it seems like a really long time ago (you know... since I'm now so much older and grown up...) but really it has only been 6 years. Anyway, I remember looking forward to our graduation. All 212 graduates, wearing red and white caps and gowns, filled the gym of Edinboro University, and we each got our diploma and were off to bigger and better things: universities, trade schools, the military and the work force. It was an exciting time, and it is what every high school student looks forward too.

Here it is still a time of excitement and anticipation, however the traditions that surround graduation are different. The hints of graduation start early in the year. Each student who is graduating had a special ribbon, from their school, that they have pinned to their backpack. The ribbons are all different, so you can tell who is from what school by the different colores. Then in January is a graduation ball for each school. This is a time for students to celebrate their upcoming graduation with their classmates, teachers, family and friends. The night it spent dancing and having a good time. The last major event before the big day happens in early May. Each graduating class has some sort of senior portrait taken and they are put up in a store window in town for everyone to see. Some are more traditional and others are creative and goofy. After this the only thing left for seniors is to take their exit exams. Each student chooses which subjects they will graduate in and then has the week before off to study for their tests. After all the exams are taken the students have one final celebration with there classmates and teachers.