This year’s joint prom or seniors' ball will take place at the Helsinki Ice Hall from 2.00 pm Friday afternoon and will be attended by more than 600 students.
Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen will formally open the event, and the musical accompaniment will be provided by the police orchestra. This year marks the 19th occasion that Helsinki high schools have held a joint ball.
In Turku about 1,000 young couples gathered at the Turku Arena for their local ball, which took place on Thursday at 6 pm.
The tradition of the senior’s ball apparently emerged in Helsinki in between 1920 and 1930, when students hatched the idea themselves. However, modern day balls are more reminiscent of American proms. The main aim of the seniors' ball is to highlight the ascension of the students to the status of seniors in the schoolyard hierarchy.