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A debutante ( French word for "female beginner") is a 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 . In England , debutantes were presented at court at the start of the Social Season . The tradition ceased in the mid 20th century, although there have been some semi-commercial attempts to perpetuate it, but these lack any royal sanction and have made little impact. In Australia , debutante balls (or colloqually "deb balls") are more closely associated with girls from a particular high school year level than an actual age. In country towns and rural centres, debutante balls usually are scheduled for girls from Grade 11 (aged 16 - 17), and it is customary for the female to ask a male. To an extent debutantes are becoming less common in rural centres but are gaining popularity in the city as a result of being adopted as part of a school event, reserved for Year 12, or more commonly, Year 11 students (ages 17 - 18). In Ireland a similar situation exists, however these balls have more in common with the high school proms of the U.S. . Each secondary school will host their own ball, and everyone in the final year of that school (usually 6th year) will be entitled to bring a date. Whether the female asks the male, or vice versa, is irrelevant. This type of dance is referred to as a "debs" or a "debs ball". 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 . 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, and 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 .'' In some Hispanic communities along the U.S. and Latin America , a similar event occurs on a girl's fifteenth birthday. It is called a Quinceañera ceremony. TRIVIA In the Monty Python Sketch "The Upper Class Twit Of The Year Contest" , one of the challenges consists of "Taking the bra off the debs," here represented by a row of shop dummies. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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