The social season or Season has historically referred to the annual period when it is customary for members of the social and political elite of society to hold debutante balls, dinner parties, and large charity events, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. Elite (also spelled Élite) is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect" A debutante ( deb or presentation ball (from the French débutante, "female beginner" is a young lady from an aristocratic or 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 The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It was also the appropriate time to be resident in the city rather than in the country, in order to attend such events. The social season typically occurs during the warmer summer months.

1870 cartoon satirizing the coming of the London season

The Season in London

The original Season is the "London Season", coinciding with the sitting of Parliament, and beginning some time after Christmas, and running until midsummer (ie. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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 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 around late June). Historically, the Season comprised innumerable social and charity engagements, including lavish balls and dinners and evenings at the opera or theatre. Ballroom dance refers collectively to a set of Partner dances which originated in Germany and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one The most exclusive events were held at the town mansions of leading members of the aristocracy. In effect, this series of events served as a courtship ritual for the children of marriageable age of the nobility and upper gentry. Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime Gentry generally refers to people of high Social class, especially in the past The season began with the presentation of debutantes to the monarch. A debutante ( deb or presentation ball (from the French débutante, "female beginner" is a young lady from an aristocratic or

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. The presentation of debutantes at court ended in the nineteen fifties. The events which today comprise the London social season are increasingly hosted or sponsored by large companies (ie. "corporate hospitality").

Although there is no official organisation of the season, according to the peerage guide Debrett's, the season runs from April to August and includes the events listed below. The Peerage is a system of Titles of Nobility in the United Kingdom, part of the British honours system. Debrett’s is a specialist Publisher, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of The New Peerage.

• Arts: Edinburgh Fringe — Glyndebourne — The Proms — Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
• Horticulture: Chelsea Flower Show
• Equestrianism: Royal Ascot — Glorious Goodwood — Badminton — The Grand National — The Royal Windsor Horse Show
• The Crown: Trooping the Colour — The Garter Service
• Sport: The Boat Race — Henley Royal Regatta — Wimbledon — Cowes Week — The Lord's Test Match

Although several of these events are not actually held in London, 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 time, disposable income and stamina). The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. This article is about the Glyndebourne opera festival See Glyndebourne for details of the Country house and opera house Glyndebourne Festival 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 The Summer Exhibition is an open Art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, officially the Great Spring Show and part of London's summer Social season. Ascot Racecourse is an English racecourse located in the village of Ascot, Berkshire used for Thoroughbred horse racing. Goodwood Racecourse is a Horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke The Badminton Horse Trials is a three-day event, one of only six annual four star CCI****, events as classified by the FEI. The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony performed by Regiments of the Commonwealth and the British Army. The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients 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 Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest Tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious Cowes Week is the longest-running regular Regatta in the world Lord's Cricket Ground (generally known as Lord's) is a cricket Leisure or free time, is a period of Time spent out of work and essential domestic Activity. Disposable income is Gross income minus Income tax on that income

The Season in the United States

Many large American cities have a more-or-less official social season, although only those persons on the social register may be aware of its existence. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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 In the US, timing of the social season is adapted to the climate, rather than to the sitting of Congress, and may start as early as the autumn and end in the early summer when the upper classes traditionally fled the hot and sticky cities for the so-called camps of the Adirondacks, seaside retreats such as the Hamptons, or, in California, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Autumn (also known as fall in North American English) is one of the four Temperate Seasons Autumn marks the transition from Summer Is a concept in Sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a Social hierarchy. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. The Adirondack Mountains are a Mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin The Hamptons refers specifically to the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on the east end of Long Island New York.

In New York, the opening of the Metropolitan Opera in September is a major event of the early social season; in Los Angeles, it is the Las Madrinas debutante ball; and in San Francisco, the Opening Night Gala of the San Francisco Opera. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Las Madrinas Ball is a debutante ball held in Los Angeles California by Las Madrinas (Spanish the Godmothers) an organization founded in The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city San Francisco Opera (SFO is the second largest Opera company in North America.

The Season in literature

A London Season features in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, and is often a key plot device in regency romance novels. Jane Austen (16 Sense and Sensibility is a Novel by the English novelist Jane Austen. Regency romances are a subgenre of Romance novels set during the period of the English Regency or early 19th century

Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence uses the New York social season as a backdrop for its story. Edith Wharton ( January 24 1862 &ndash August 11 1937) was an American Novelist, Short story Writer The Age of Innocence (1920 is a novel by Edith Wharton, which won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize.

Further reading

Florence Adele Sloane (ed. Louis Auchincloss): Maverick in Mauve: Diary of a Romantic Age, Doubleday, 1983.

Kate Simon: Fifth Avenue: A Very Social History, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978.

External references

• A London Season
• Debrett's (click 'The Season')
• Society Guys ('The Social Season')
• New York's Social Elite Today