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Oklahoma high school freshmen must kiss mothers on first day in 26-year-old tradition

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has a 26-year tradition where freshmen must kiss their mothers goodbye on their first day.
  • Seniors surround the freshmen's cars, preventing them from exiting until they give their mothers a public kiss as a form of initiation.
  • The tradition, started by the class of 2001, aims to be a kinder, albeit slightly embarrassing, way to welcome new students and honor parents.

At Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the first day of school for freshmen is marked by a unique and somewhat mortifying tradition: a public goodbye kiss to their mothers.

We hold the car, we hold the car door, preventing it from opening.

— Bishop Kelly studentDescribing the seniors' role in the tradition.

Seniors at the school line up to block the freshmen's car doors, refusing to let them exit until they offer their mothers a peck on the cheek. This ritual, which has been in place for 26 years, serves as a rite of passage and a way for the school community to acknowledge the milestone.

It's like initiation, like, we all did it.

— Bishop Kelly studentExplaining the shared experience of the tradition.

"It's like initiation, like, we all did it," one senior student told CBS News, explaining that the tradition is a shared experience. While freshmen might feel embarrassed, the tradition's origins lie in a desire to be kinder than previous, more prank-based welcomes. The class of 2001 initiated this shift towards a more affectionate, if still awkward, greeting.

I wouldn't have wanted to kiss my mom as a freshman.

— Sister Mary HanahAcknowledging the potential embarrassment for freshmen.

Sister Mary Hanah, the school's president, acknowledges the potential reluctance but emphasizes the importance of honoring parents, referencing the biblical commandment. She also notes the profound joy this moment brings to the mothers, seeing it as a significant milestone, especially for those sending off their first or last child to high school. The tradition celebrates the "sweet, fleeting moment between a parent and child" amidst the cheers of hundreds of seniors.

And you know who the happiest people are in this whole thing? ... The mothers.

— Sister Mary HanahHighlighting the mothers' positive reaction to the tradition.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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