The Intriguing Ritual of the Formal Season Celebration

In a specific tribe (primarily composed of young people) located in a valley of the Rocky Mountains, the population annually hosts a ritualistic ceremony in order to mark the winter season and raise spirits of the tribe. Elected officials spend a month prior planning the details, but festivities last a week on average. Entitled “Winter Formal” (win-tər fȯr-məl), the youth of the tribe utilize the festivities to mimic the romantic behavior of their superiors. Being asked to accompany potential romantic prospects to the celebration is the utmost honor for juvenile females and males alike.

Coincidentally, this year’s festivities occur simultaneously as the beginning of one of the most intricate entertainment experiences. Twice a year, a few primary adults in the village host a theatrical show featuring talented youths. The process begins with weeks of preparation for the actors, leading up to miniature presentations for the adults executing the event. Tensions rise among the adolescents, noticeably creating extra turmoil within already fragile relationships.

Between the two affairs, the tribe’s young adults struggle to maintain composure. Friendships quickly fall to pieces under the stress. The teenagers are forced to face the reality of their impending adulthood. The elders of the tribe carefully watch without interfering, reminiscing on the festivities of the past.

Young girls become frantic to find dates, considering any and every potential suitor. Even after they have secured a mate for the celebration, they scramble to find the appropriate costumes. Fully knowing there will be a sense of unspoken comparison, the females must find a perfect dress to fit the occasion.

On the biggest night of festivities, teenagers must choose their closest colleagues and adhere to general traditions. After spending multiple hours in preparation, girls meet their dates, and both exchange slightly different forms of floral accessories. The tradition is documented, typically in photograph form, and the separate groups engage in a communion-like meal before attending the final stage of festivities- the dance.

Every youth has a slightly different experience at the “Winter Formal” itself, but the environment is fun enough to cause all of the previous stress to disappear. The teenagers of the tribe enjoy themselves, recreating the close bonds that may have been severed in the process.