The social season or Season has historically referred to the annual period when it is customary for members of the a social elite Elite is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect". In sociology as in general usage, the elite is a hypothetical group of relatively small size, that is dominant within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others of a lower line of order of society to hold debutante A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. Originally, it meant the young woman was eligible to marry, and part of the purpose was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a balls A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event, dinner parties and large charity A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . The term is relatively general and can technically refer to a public charity (also called "charitable foundation," "public foundation" or simply "foundation") or a private foundation. It differs from other types of NPOs in that its focus is centered events. It was also the appropriate time to be resident in the city rather than in the country, in order to attend such events. In London society, the Season traditionally began after Easter and ended with the "Glorious Twelfth", the start of the shooting season for red grouse. [1]

1870 cartoon satirizing the coming of the London season

Contents

The Season in London

The London social season evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries, and in its traditional form it peaked in the 19th century. In this era the British elite was dominated by landowning aristocratic and gentry families who generally regarded their country house The English country house is generally accepted as a large house or mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another great house in town allowing one to spend time in the country and in the city as their main home, but spent several months of the year in the capital to socialise and to engage in politics. The most exclusive events were held at the town mansions of leading members of the aristocracy; exclusive public venues such as Almack's played a secondary role. The Season coincided with the sitting of Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. At its head is the Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth and began some time after Christmas Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday observed mostly on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. The date is not known to be the actual birth date of Jesus, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been and ran until midsummer Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place around the 24th of June and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between cultures (ie. around late June). The social season also played a role in the political life of the country: the members of the two Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames[note 1] in the heart of the London borough of the City of Westminster, close to the were almost all participants in the season. But the Season was also a chance for the children of marriageable age of the nobility Nobility is an aristocratic social class with privileges, titles, and status acquired through heredity, by purchase, or by grant. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over, or relative to, non-nobles, or may be largely honorary , but are maintained, or at least officially acknowledged, by law or government and gentry Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past to be launched into society. Women were formally introduced into society by presentation to the monarch at Court The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure. In the largest courts many thousands of individuals comprised the court, many officials or servants in the permanent employ of the ruler, and others attending in hope of.

Today there is no official organization of the Season although many of the traditions and customs remain. The traditional Season went into decline after the First World War, when many aristocratic families gave up their London mansions. From this time on an increasing number of society events took place at public venues, making it harder to maintain social exclusivity. Many events that take place far from central London came to be regarded as part of the social season, e.g. Royal Ascot and the Henley Regatta. The presentation of débutantes at court was abolished by Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, listed here in order of length of possession by the Crown: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in 1958. The events which now comprise the London social Season are increasingly hosted or sponsored by large companies (ie. "corporate hospitality"). Dress codes still apply to certain events in the season, especially where The Queen plays an official role.

According to the peerage The Peerage is a system of titles in the United Kingdom, which represents the upper ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titles, and individually to refer to a specific title. All modern British honours, including peerage dignities, are created guide Debrett's Debrett’s is a specialist publisher, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of The New Peerage. The name "Debrett's" honours John Debrett . This genealogical guide to the British aristocracy evolved into a keystone of British society and is published today under the name Debrett’s Peerage & Baronetage, a book, the traditional Social Season runs from April to August. Traditional Season, Debrett's

Events in the London Season

Polo Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet. The traditional sport of polo is played at speed on a large grass field up to 300 yards in length, and each polo team Wimbledon The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the only one still played on the game's original surface, Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage. It should not be confused with the three other regattas rowed over approximately the same course , each of which is entirely Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races, the same number as Newmarket. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being

Arts

Edinburgh Festival Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for several simultaneous arts and cultural festivals that take place during August each year in Edinburgh, Scotland. These festivals are arranged by a number of formally unrelated organizations, meaning there is no single event officially termed the Edinburgh Festival — Glyndebourne — The Proms The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London. Founded in 1895, each season currently consists of over 70 — Royal Academy Summer Exhibition — West End theatre West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland,' the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world. Seeing a West End show is a common tourist

Horticulture

Chelsea Flower Show

Equestrianism

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races, the same number as Newmarket. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being — Glorious Goodwood — Badminton — The Grand National The Grand National is a world famous National Hunt horse race which is held at Aintree in the United Kingdom. It is a handicap chase containing thirty fences which is run over a distance of 4 miles and 856 yards . It is presently scheduled to take place each year on a Saturday afternoon in early April — The Royal Windsor Horse Show — The Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, known colloquially as The Derby and internationally as the Epsom Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June. It is

The Crown

Trooping the Colour — The Garter Service The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England. The Order is dedicated to the image and arms of St. George as England's Patron Saint, and is presently bestowed on recipients from British and other realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom. Membership in the

Sport

The Boat Race The Boat Race, also known as the University Boat Race and The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club. It is rowed annually between competing eights each spring on the Thames in London. The event is a popular one, not only with the alumni of the — Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage. It should not be confused with the three other regattas rowed over approximately the same course , each of which is entirely — Polo — Wimbledon The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the only one still played on the game's original surface, — Cowes Week Cowes Week is the longest-running regular regatta in the world. Having started in 1826, the Event is held on the Solent , and is run by Cowes Week Limited in the small town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight — The Lord's Test Match Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the European Cricket Council (ECC) and, until August 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC). Lord'

Although several of these events are not actually held in London, such as the Hurlingham Polo Cartier International at Guards Polo Club, the organisers of most events attempt to avoid date clashes, so it is generally possible to visit all of them in the same year (given sufficient leisure Leisure or free time, is a period of time spent out of work and essential domestic activity. It is also the period of recreational and discretionary time before or after compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, going to work or running a business, attending school and doing homework, household chores, and day-to-day stress. The time, disposable income Disposable income is total personal income minus personal current taxes. In national accounts definitions, personal income, minus personal current taxes equals disposable personal income. Subtracting personal outlays (which includes the major category of personal consumption expenditure) yields personal (or, private) savings and stamina).

The traditional end of the London Season is the Glorious Twelfth of August, which marks the beginning of the shooting season. Society would retire to the country to shoot birds during the autumn and hunt foxes during the winter, before coming back to London again with the spring.

Dress Codes

Many events of the season have traditional expectations with regard to dress. "Getting it wrong" is regarded as a cardinal sin and a serious social 'faux pas'.

Obviously, public displays of drunkenness at any of the Society or social season events is "not the done thing" and usually results in "social exclusion".

The Season in the United States

Many large American ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language cities have a more-or-less official social season, although only those persons on the social register Specific to the United States, the Social Register is a directory of names and addresses of prominent American families who form the social elite , though until recently not necessarily the political or corporate elite. Inclusion in the Social Register was formerly a guide to the members of "polite society" (or those with "old money& may be aware of its existence. In the US, timing of the social season is adapted to the climate Climates encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time. Climate can be contrasted to weather, which is the present condition of these same elements and their variations over periods up to two weeks, rather than to the sitting of Congress and may start as early as the autumn Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in March (Southern Hemisphere) or September (Northern Hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier and end in the early summer when the rich elite traditionally fled the hot and humid Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature. Humidity may also be expressed as specific humidity. Relative humidity is an important metric used in forecasting weather cities for the camps of the Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties, seaside retreats such as the Hamptons, or, in California, the Napa Napa is the county seat of Napa County, California. It is the principal city of the Napa county Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Napa county. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 72,585. The area was settled in the 1830s. It was incorporated as a city in 1872 and Sonoma Valleys.

In New York New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice, the opening of the Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine in September is a major event of the early social season; in Los Angeles Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, the largest city in the state of California and the western United States, with a population of 3.83 million within its administrative limits on a land area of 498.3 square miles (1,290.6 km2). The urban area of Los Angeles extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population, it is the Las Madrinas debutante ball; in San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,977. The only consolidated city-county in California, it encompasses a land area of 46.7 square miles on the northern end of the San Francisco, the Opening Night Gala of the San Francisco Opera.

The Season in literature and popular culture

A London Season features in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and is often a key plot device in Regency romance novels.

Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence uses the New York social season as a backdrop for its story.

Julian Fellowes's Past Imperfect takes place during the 1968 Season in London.

In the 2003 film What a Girl Wants (film), Lord Henry Dashwood invites his new found daughter Daphne to attend the London Season

The 2004 movie White Chicks takes place in The Hamptons for the end of the American Social Season

The 2009 young-adult novel, The Season, by Sarah MacLean portrays a young woman entering her first London Season

Further reading

External links

References

  1. ^ http://www.thehistorybox.com/ny_city/society/printerfriendly/nycity_society_london_season_article0008.htm
  2. ^ http://www.ascot.co.uk/royal/enclosure.html
  3. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/fashionnews/5700665/What-to-wear-Henley-Royal-Regatta.html
  4. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5712444/Student-falls-foul-of-Henley-Royal-Regatta-dress-code-wearing-Ascot-outfit.html

Categories: British society | Regency London | Seasons | European court festivities | American society

 

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