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Gatsby Day is here, and juniors are preparing for the annual celebration. Some classes have projects on this day while others hold parties in their classes; but generally, it’s a day of fun! Gatsby Day was designed so that students could learn about literature in an interactive way and experience first-hand the taste, societal value, culture, and lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties.

This annual event for juniors is based on the “the greatest masterpieces of American literature”, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This novel is set in an era known as the “Jazz Age” or the “Roaring Twenties” which caused great social, economic, and cultural shifts in America. The novel itself reflects the life and values in the 1920s, and students are to fully immerse themselves in the text with Gatsby Day. This special event for juniors brings the book to life, and according to Ms. Nicole Zaidi, “The tradition of a love for literature is celebrated.” She then continued to say that “when a tradition has survived as long as this one, you don’t just turn off the green light- you value it.”

On Gatsby Day, most students dress up to the fashion tastes of the “Roaring Twenties”. For men, an essential part of their everyday wardrobe was the suit. Suits were widely made popular in the 1920s for day, evening, office, and party. To mimic this fashion, male students would wear dress shirts and suits to school that day. On the opposite spectrum, for women, the most prominent figure that arose in the 1920s was none other than the flappers. The flappers were known as vivacious young girls who cut their hair short, danced at parties, and generally did whatever they wished. This was a breakthrough in women’s lifestyle as before the “Jazz Age”, many of these traits were looked down upon. These girls often wore sequined clothing with fringe so that when they danced they would look like they were spinning. Because of this, female students would often dress in a flapper dress with accessories such as pearls to imitate the main character of the novel, Daisy Buchanan.

To bring the book alive, many classes have planned a Gatsby Day party along with a variety of activities. For example, juniors in numerous AP English classes will be designing a Jazz Age table. This table will be incorporated with food and decorations from the 1920s. They will also be researching “ historical, cultural, and social background information” of the “Roaring Twenties”. The purpose of this is to learn more about the culture and lifestyle of this iconic era. For Ms. Zaidi’s class, they will “be playing 1920’s music during the passing period and the library will host a speakeasy (minus the bathtub gin) where Juniors can get a fortune cookie with a special 1920’s term or Gatsby quote.” They will also be hosting a “Trivia game to connect with the time period and the book”. For Ms. Landis’ class, students will also “have an argument writing component and a fan-fiction type writing assignment that go along with the party, so students are really showing a wide range of understanding and engagement with the text”.

When asked about what she thinks of Gatsby Day overall, Ms. Landis exclaimed, “ I love Gatsby day! It offers students a historical approach to the time period in which The Great Gatsby was written.” She then went on to say that Gatsby Day “turns the learning experience into an actual experience” and “not only lets them into the world of the 1920s, but also has them engage in higher level inquiry and critical thinking skills when they have to decorate their tables and bring food that displays and analysis a theme, character, symbol, or motif.” She believes that this event is special to juniors because “it gives them an opportunity to share their unique interpretations and creativity.” The purpose of Gatsby Day is not just about fun because it is also “about both a historical approach to the novel as well as a culmination of all the in-depth analysis we’ve been discussing in the weeks prior to Gatsby Day,” according to Ms. Landis. To express that she loves Gatsby Day, Ms. Zaidi exclaims, “They are epitomizing the 1920’s, but I see the talent of 21st-century skills in action. And that’s the bee’s knees!”

This upcoming event will be a great experience for juniors and teachers alike! Let’s discover the magic and culture behind The Great Gatsby juniors!