The Class of 2020, who had looked forward to prom most of their years at school, had their hopes dashed when the pandemic first hit. A year later, the Class of 2021 was disappointed as well, but the Class of 2022 is hoping that they will resume a tradition that is about a century old.

According to History.com, high school proms started in the 1920s. They originally started as a showy college tradition, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that the tradition of these dances became the predominant school dance in high schools. The early dances were strongly based in traditional gender roles, with young men expected to do the asking while young ladies simply waited. Those expectations have become less strict over the last seven decades.

The Junior Class traditionally hosts the prom for the graduating class and this year’s junior class is hoping to see their efforts rewarded on May 21 when students meet at the Library Galleria in Sacramento. The theme will be chosen in the next few months and shared in the spring as the event draws closer.

Students tend to plan ahead, and once the tickets go on sale, shopping trips are scheduled for prom dresses, scouting trips are organized for pre and post-food experiences and appointments are made for hair and nails.

One hundred years after the first high school proms, the classic dance is still a chance for students to show off their best look and create a strong memory for life.