Commemoration ball
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A Commemoration ball or Commem. ball is a white-tie ball held by one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in the 9th week of Trinity Term, known as "Commemoration Week" because the Wednesday of that week sees the University's annual Encaenia, or commemoration of benefactors.
Commemoration balls are usually only held by the larger colleges, and then only every three years. Other colleges have annual summer balls or parties which are inevitably much smaller affairs where the dress code is black tie.
Commemoration Week was formerly one of two occasions when such balls were held, the other being Eights Week, the 5th week of Trinity term when the Summer Eights bumps races occur. Eights balls are nowadays comparatively rare.
Several colleges have held Commem balls in recent years on the usual triennial basis:
The next Commemoration Ball will take place in 2007 and will be held by New College.
