Graduation

Robert Burns poem set to traditional melody

A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called commencement, congregation, convocation or invocation. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. Graduates can be referred to by their year of graduation.

series of marches for orchestra composed by Sir Edward Elgar

mortarboard-topped cap

thumb|The of 2005 at 17 May parade in Oslo, Norway The '''''' (English: ' celebration') is a traditional celebration for Norwegian high school students in their final spring semester. Students that take part in the celebrations are known as ''''''. Students in high school normally prepare for this celebration from the start of the year. celebrations normally happen before the final term exam for the high school students before they are off to university or college.

diploma awarded for completing high school

right|thumb|Lorries during penkkarit Penkkarit (more formally penkinpainajaiset, "benchpressing [fest]", or bänkskuddardagen ("penkis, penkisdagen") in Swedish) is a yearly tradition among Finnish upper secondary school () students. The event is celebrated in the spring of their final, usually third, year as the final day of school, before the start of the matriculation exams. Traditionally, the date of penkkarit is a Thursday in late or mid-February.

1997 essay by Mary Schmich