<P> At Connecticut College in the United States, members of the junior class carry a laurel chain, which the seniors pass through during commencement . It represents nature and the continuation of life from year to year . Immediately following commencement, the junior girls write out with the laurels their class year, symbolizing they have officially become seniors and the period will repeat itself the following spring . </P> <P> At Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA, laurel has been a fixture of commencement traditions since 1900, when graduating students carried or wore laurel wreaths . In 1902, the chain of mountain laurel was introduced; since then, tradition has been for seniors to parade around the campus, carrying and linked by the chain . The mountain laurel represents the bay laurel used by the Romans in wreaths and crowns of honor . </P> <P> At Reed College in Portland, Oregon, United States, members of the senior class receive laurel wreaths upon submitting their senior thesis in May . The tradition stems from the use of laurel wreaths in athletic competitions; the seniors have "crossed the finish line," so to speak . </P> <P> At St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, students who successfully complete three years of one classical language and two of the other earn the distinction of the Classics Diploma and the honor of wearing a laurel wreath on Prize Day . </P>

Where does rest on your laurels come from