Since schools in Guam adopt a similar educational system to the U.S. mainland, the new school year starts in August, and graduations and the end of the academic year are concentrated from late May to early June. During this time, the entire island is filled with a celebratory mood, and families and friends gather to heartily congratulate the graduates!
It’s customary to exchange leis, balloons, and cards at graduation ceremonies. You can easily find these celebratory items right here at Pay-Less Supermarkets to express your well wishes!
At the entrance, “HAPPY GRADUATION!” balloons welcome you! You’ll also see a variety of leis given by family and friends. While leis are usually worn as fashion accessories, for graduations, they’re truly a gift of congratulations. There were seed leis for boys, vibrant flower leis for girls, and even cute candy leis for kindergarteners and elementary school students.
While the atmosphere of graduation ceremonies varies by country, what’s particularly striking here is seeing children, especially those with large families and many relatives, receiving so many leis that their faces are almost hidden!
Even in today’s age of prevalent smartphone messages, the warmth of a card remains strong. In the section marked “WAY TO GO GRADS!”, a diverse array of message cards were displayed, ranging from heartfelt sentiments to humorous ones. It seems that the acts of choosing, writing, and hand-delivering a card, unlike a digital message, become a special and important part of creating lasting memories.
While flower bouquets are popular graduation gifts, money gift card holders are also sold. These are special cards, perfect for giving cash, much like otoshidama in Japan!
They have a slit inside where you can insert bill.
From May to June, a celebratory graduation atmosphere spreads across Guam, with the entire island enveloped in a festive mood. While you’ll spot kids in their graduation gowns near schools after ceremonies, it’s also unique to this time of year to see a special corner dedicated to graduation season essentials near the entrance when you go shopping at the local supermarket, Pay-Less. It’s really convenient to get everything you need for celebrations in one spot. Through this shopping experience, I felt like I got a glimpse into Guam’s unique culture.
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Pay-Less Supermarket（Oka Pay-Less）
Location: Tamuning
Open 24 hours
Phone：(671) 646–9301/9302/649-7118