Debutante

A debutante is young lady from a representative family who has reached the age of 18, and as a new adult is introduced to society at a formal presentation known as her "debut" or "coming out." Originally, it meant the young woman was eligible for marriage, and the tradition arose when noble families started seeking infusions of cash by marriage to wealthy bourgeoisie.

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In England, debutantes were presented at court at the start of the social season.

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Debutante balls exist in nearly every major city in the United States. They are often charity occasions, in which the parents of the young ladies as well as all attending must contribute a certain sum of money to the cause at hand. For a list of debutante balls in the United States, see Cotillion.

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Cotillions and Debutante Balls (popularly called a 'debut') are very popular in the Philippines and in Filipino communities overseas. The debut begins with a priest giving a blessing before the ball. Eighteen candles are then presented to the debutante by eighteen of her closest girlfriends, then eighteen roses are presented by eighteen male escorts. Traditionally, the debutante leaves the ball at midnight. Another tradition is that all young males present must drink to each letter of the debutante's name. The debutante tradition in Philippine culture is documented in the film The Debut.

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In some U.S. Hispanic communities, a similar event occurs on a girl's 15th birthday. It is called a Quincea?era ceremony.

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Philippines: The Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas), or the Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), is a nation in Southeast Asia. It lies 1,210 km (750 mi) away from mainland Asia and consists of 7,107 islands that form part of the Malay Archipelago....

The Debut: The Debut is an independent feature-length film directed and co-written by first-time Filipino American filmmaker Gene Cajayon. It is one of the first feature films to take place within the Filipino American community, one of the largest Asian ethnic minorities in America. It is also the first Filip...

Debutante related Images and Photos (experimental)

D'ebutante	Reluctant Debutante, The (Remastered)	The Reluctant Debutante	The Reluctant Debutante 1958
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante	Andy Hardy Meets Debutante Diana Lewis Mickey Rooney Ann Rutherford Judy Garland 1940	Photographing During the 54th International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel