The Middleton Winter Formal

The Middleton Winter Formal (formerly known as the Middleton Winter Ball) is an annual social gathering for Middleton High School students. The Winter Formal was thought to have been established during the earliest years of Middleton, making it one of the oldest Winter Formal’s in the United States. Although the Winter Formal is seen as an integral social ritual in Middleton culture, it has occasionally been suspended during times of crisis (see “The Cheerleader Trials”).

## History

The Middleton Winter Formal was established as the “Winter Ball” during the colonial era of Olde Myddletowne. Like many social events of Olde Myddletowne, the original purpose of the Winter Ball was to serve the spirit of “pep”, life force of the Olde Myddletowne religion.

Winter was an important season for the original inhabitants of Olde Myddletowne. Symbolic of “death” and the end of earthly cycles, Winter was viewed as a shadow concept to “pep”. Despite being seen as anathema to the youthful energies that Myddletowne inhabitants worshipped, Winter was not treated with derision, but rather with tenuous respect. The Winter Ball was meant to establish a harmony between forces of life and death, youth and old age.

A popular rumor has suggested that human sacrifice was involved in the original incarnation of the Winter Ball, as a means of satisfying the Winter’s call for death and finality. Despite the persistence of this rumor in the Middletonian imagination, historical scholars generally believe it to be unsubstantiated.

Although the Olde Myddletowne religion became displaced over time, many of the rituals associated with it, such as the Winter Ball and the Pep Rally, persisted in more secular forms. In the 19th century, the Winter Ball took on a new role as an important, purely social event. A European influence has been noted in this mid-period incarnation of the Winter Ball, evidenced not only in the increased complexity of expected social etiquette but also in the increased importance of the Ball as a “debut” for Middleton ladies. Courtship became a major aspect of the Winter Ball, and romantic relationships were seen as being publically declared to the highest degree by a conjoined attendance at the event.

Today, the Winter Ball, now the Winter Formal, is a more relaxed social gathering akin to a typical high school dance. Although the stringency of its social purpose has been eased, it is still seen as a fundamental part of Middleton culture.

## Controversies

The Winter Formal/Ball has been subject to suspension during times of social crisis. The most notable instance of this was during the infamous Cheerleader Trials of Olde Myddletowne, which resulted in the death and mutilation of several Myddletowne cheerleaders by an extremist faction of the original Poms. This suspension lasted several years, making it the longest time the celebration was not practiced.

Controversy has occasionally plagued the Winter Formal due to its presumed role in promoting social competition. The mid-period Winter Ball’s intense social importance led to a somewhat negative reputation of the event for many years, with several pundits declaring it to be regressive and deleterious to students' self-esteem. The highly publicized death of Permelia the Cheerleader around this time became politicized because of this discourse, with many believing that Permelia had been the victim of a murder perpetrated
in order to steal her date to the Winter Ball. As the formal importance of the event waned in the modern era, however, discussions over its potential dangers have largely been quieted.