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Every country seems to celebrate life’s milestones differently, including graduation.
We recently celebrated our second son’s graduation from high school. The majority of relatives in our nuclear family traveled from near and far to attend this monumental event in the life of our child, marking the rite of passage into independent life and adulthood.
Just like all other graduates, we walked with our son through all the cultural rituals of this major milestone. We did everything from senior portraits, to the fitting of “cap and gown,” to sending out graduation announcements, hoping for a few bucks and gifts from well-wishing friends and family, to the graduation ceremony rehearsal, to the “big event,” to the after-grad reception, to a family celebration with delicious food and beverages.
Well, our cultural norms may have differed slightly from some of the other American graduating families.
We had sacrificed precious weight and space in our luggage from France to haul over one of the finest bottles of champagne that our tight budget could afford. The majestic bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte “brut” champagne had been elegantly poised in our closet . . . awaiting its grand opening and final début!
It was a symbol of faith for us that our son WOULD graduate from high school this year and that we wouldn’t have to transport this heavy bottle back across the oceans. IF that had been the case, I’m sure that we would have found some special occasion to celebrate. However, the plan was for Robert’s graduation night!
Oh, how this major milestone in the life of a child differs across borders!
In American culture, even our four boys had all “graduated” from kindergarten with a full-blown ceremony and lots of “Pomp and Circumstance.”
We were even surprised to see that other cultures, even in the third world, celebrated this major life milestone of graduation the “American Way.”
One evening, while traveling in Dakar, Senegal, we were having dinner in a fun restaurant. During our meal, a group of Senegalese college students paraded through the doors. They were all wearing fancy American caps and gowns. Celebrating the end of their season of hard studies, this monumental graduation event would be one that they would never forget!
My French husband had already observed this American tradition when our first son graduated a few years ago. Although impressed by the American “hoopla” . . . the goose-bump producing “Pomp and Circumstance” procession, the shiny cap and gown, the eloquent and inspiring speeches, the ritual of shifting the tassel and tossing one’s cap high into the air, and the beautifully enveloped diploma to display . . . my husband reflected on his own cultural norms.
I can recall him describing his own “graduation” into adulthood. It certainly didn’t have “Pomp and Circumstance” of our two sons’ graduation celebrations.
When asked if he recalls the big day, he chuckles. If asked what happened, he says, “All we do is look at a paper to see if we passed or if we failed.” That’s it!
In France, one prepares most of his or her high school years for the French Baccalauréat exam, otherwise known as the “BAC.” It is a test of all of one’s knowledge accumulated throughout the years. Perhaps one could try to compare it to the ACT, “American College Testing,” or the SAT, “Scholastic Aptitude Test.”
Nothing really compares to the French “BAC.”
Students begin taking the exam during their 11th-grade year (American educational system), known in France as the “1st grade” of school. The preparation and testing continue into the last and final year of high school, called “Terminale” (12th grade in the American educational system). The main portion of the exam is taken in the spring.
Students work hard during these years, especially the final year. Very few will sacrifice precious time to work part-time jobs, and many will stop extra-curricular activities and time spent with friends in order to devote themselves to solid days of hard work and preparation. Much stress and anxiety go into this exam.
For ALL THE WORLD to see!
The suspense continues as students await their results to be posted several weeks later on the front entrance doors of their high school. Yes, in full public view for all the world to see! Each student’s name is announced from the mountaintop . . . “pass” or “fail.”
The news of the exact date and time when the paper lists will be scotch taped to the glass windows are quickly known by the student body. Anxious crowds gather in front of the school entrance. Their entire life and future hang in the balance . . . determined by which paper list displays their name.
Those with confidence that they will pass may bring their parents along to rejoice with them at the door. Others fearfully stand alone to wait and then race frantically with their eyes through the names to find their own. Their name will be on a list, but which one?
Rejoicing or Weeping?
Groups begin to gather, those rejoicing together . . . and those weeping.
Vincent doesn’t remember the day well, but he does remember seeing his name on the “Pass” list.
Cell phones didn’t exist back in those days. He had to wait until he could return home to tell his parents. His mother waited anxiously at the door of their home and said, “So . . . ?”
He doesn’t recall when he told his dad the good news. It must have been later that evening when he came home from work. He doesn’t recall a special meal or even a bottle of champagne. It must not have been too spectacular of a celebration.
In any case, the next day, Vincent went to the public university in the nearby city to enroll in their fall program. With a “BAC” diploma in hand, one is automatically accepted into the French university system.
I asked Vincent if he still has his “BAC” diploma. He said, “Of course!” When I asked him if it was framed, he replied, “No! Only Americans do that!”
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Let’s Weave Cultures!
The next time you go to an American high school graduation, enjoy the “Pomp and Circumstance,” but remember that not all cultures celebrate this rite of passage in the same way. Is it better or worse? No, it’s just different!
What exposure have you had to graduation traditions in other countries? Feel free to share about them, so that we can learn too!
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
