| Abstract: | Graduation – the last celebration for high school students, during which they are given their Certificate of Secondary Education, say farewell to their teachers, preceptress and friends. Graduates enter a new phase in their lives, where they will be faced with even greater challenges and disappointments. This paper presents the details of the official graduation performances and songs. The author describes the graduation celebration time, location, organizers, participants, the most common ways of decorating the school, the symbolic significance of the gifts. The article deals with the characteristics of graduation in big cities and smaller towns. But the most important and solemn moment is the ceremony of receiving the Certificate of Secondary Education. This ceremony is very similar in all schools, but still depends on the cherished traditions of the school and the administration’s attitude on graduates. The paper also presents the characteristics of the informal graduation celebration and most popular party sites, which depend on the students’ imagination, desires and possibilities. The official celebration usually takes place in the main hall of the school, but there can be variations. The most popular decorative elements are flowers, balloons, paper cuttings. Most often the hall is decorated the motif of birds flying away. The most important moment of the official part–presenting the Certificates of Secondary Education. Twelfth graders are given flowers during the ceremony by their parents and relatives. Sometimes, the preceptresses offer a small symbolic gift. The unofficial part of the celebration is usually in a restaurant/café/bar, or sometimes the celebration is outdoors. It should be noted that the significance of graduation has declined in the 21st c., since not all graduates participate in the Certificates presentation ceremony, “s imtadienis” (100 days before graduation) is seen as a more important celebration |
