Students Graduation Parents High Graduates Ceremony School Party

Graduation from high school is one of the most important days in a teenager's life in the United States. When "seniors" (students in their fourth and final year of high school) graduate, many parents will have a party for them. Parents and the graduates invite family, friends, and teachers. The parents of the student usually "serve" (offer; give) food, drinks, and cake.

The family, friends, and teachers who attend the party bring the student a gift that will help the student in the future. Most students receive money as a gift, but other gifts are intended to help the student as he or she "strikes out on their own" (become independent). Some students get jobs and move out of their parents home, while others prepare to go to college, often in another city or state. For these students, gifts can include such things as computers, televisions, microwaves, dishes, bedding, or "mini-refrigerators" (a refrigerator about one quarter the size of a regular refrigerator and will fit in a small space).

After graduating, many students will take a graduation trip. Students plan the graduation trip with their friends from their "graduating class" (students graduating together in the same year). Students like to go to places that are warm such as California and Florida.

Since the legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21 in most states and most high school graduates are around 18 years old, some students like to travel to other countries, such as Mexico, where the minimum "drinking age" (age at which it is legal to drink alcohol) is 18 or there is no drinking age "restrictions" (limitations) at all. In these countries, graduates can "legally" (allowed by law) be served alcohol.