A little reason to celebrate
National Prom Day
Fun ยท March 31
A day about the prom, the formal dance that marks the end of high school for many American students, with its dresses, corsages and photos.
National Prom Day falls on Wednesday, March 31, 2027. That is 155 days away.
Prom is a formal dance held for high school students, usually juniors and seniors, near the end of the school year. The name is short for promenade, an old word for a stately walk or a formal parade of guests.
The shape of the night is familiar to a lot of Americans. There are rented tuxedos and carefully chosen dresses, a corsage pinned or slipped onto a wrist, and a boutonniere that someone's parent attaches with a shaky hand. Photos happen on front steps and lawns before anyone leaves. The dance itself often takes place in a school gym or a hotel ballroom decorated around a theme, and many schools crown a prom king and queen.
For people who went, prom tends to live on in a handful of pictures. For people who skipped it, it lives on as a scene from countless movies and TV shows, which may explain why it feels so familiar either way.
Marking the day can be simple. Old photos come out of boxes and get passed around. Friends compare what the theme was, who drove, and which song they still cannot hear without thinking of that room. Some adults host a grown-up prom with a playlist from their school years and a dress code nobody has to follow too closely.
The corsage is the most traditional piece of the whole event, a small bundle of flowers that predates the modern prom by a long way.
Ways to celebrate
- Dig out old prom photos and share one with a friend who was there.
- Make a playlist of songs from your own school dance years.
- Host a casual living room prom with a dress code of your choosing.
- Ask an older relative what their school dances were like.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, March 31 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, March 31 |
| 2028 | Friday, March 31 |
| 2029 | Saturday, March 31 |
| 2030 | Sunday, March 31 |
Also on March 31
- National Tater Day
- National Clams on the Half Shell Day
- National Crayon Day
- National Little Red Wagon Day
- World Backup Day
- National Bunsen Burner Day
- Eiffel Tower Day
Categories: Fun days