he Veiled Prophet Ball is a debutante ball held each December in St. Louis, Missouri, by the Veiled Prophet Organization, founded by prominent St. Louisans in 1878.

Each year, one member of the Veiled Prophet Organization is chosen to serve as the "Veiled Prophet of Khorassan," to preside over the Veiled Prophets Ball and its roughly 2,000 attendees.[1] The event's focus is on the 50-plus debutantes who are walked down the aisle by notable St. Louis businessmen, usually a friend of their father's, to bow before the Veiled Prophet. Five are chosen by the Veiled Prophet to be the Special Maids of Honor of the "Veiled Prophet's Court of Honor", and one is crowned the "Queen of Love and Beauty". [2]
Fashion sketch by artist-reporter Marguerite Martyn of women attending the St. Louis Veiled Prophet Ball, 1911

Inspired by Mystic Krewe, the founders aimed to create an annual local celebration similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, eventually to include pageantry and costuming as well as a parade with floats. The parade and ball were both originally held in October. The ball was eventually moved to the Friday before Christmas; the parade and fair celebration, once called the VP (Veiled Prophet) Fair and VP Parade, are now called Fair St. Louis and America's Birthday Parade and are held during the week of Independence Day.

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