In the US, high schools and universities have graduation ceremonies where the students go up to receive their diplomas.  The graduates usually wear caps and gowns.  During the ceremony the song Pomp and Circumstances is played (listen here).  Usually after the graduation ceremony or the following day families have parties for the graduate.

In France, schools don’t have ceremonies.  Here’s what Monique wrote about graduations in France:

I’ve never gone to a graduation, our final exam is something totally different: you take an exam and some days later either you check the newspaper or you go to the high school where you took it and check the lists that say “admis” (i.e. passed) or “non admis” (not passed) and that’s all – though nowadays they probably check the internet.  Also, some of the tests are taken at the end of 11th grade.  There’s no ceremony and no party -unless you planned it, but there’s no tradition, some have a party with their friends, some don’t.

When I passed my “bac” 42 years ago, there was a family gathering -my dad’s dad wanted champagne because I was his first grandchild to pass it and my mom was somewhat pissed because they didn’t really have extra money for such fancies as champagne which was, comparatively to now, far more expensive.

I think that some universities (Medicine, Law, Pharmacy) have some sort of ceremony with special outfits when people pass their Ph.D, but not all universities have that.

Please feel free to share what graduations are like in your country in the comments below.

Thanks for sharing Monique!

Mama Lisa

Monique Palomares works with me on the French version of Mama Lisa’s World.