What is the history of the Square Academic Cap?

The mortarboard borrows its name from the flat board used by bricklayers to lay mortar. Therefore, some people believe the reason the cap is square because it represents the mortar board of a master workman. Despite the uncertainty of origin, the style has remained accepted and popular at most educational institutions.

What is the origin of the square graduation cap?

Mortarboard caps are thought to have been created in the 15th century, as part of an evolution from a hat type known as a birettas which was used by Catholic clerics and professors. The distinctive square shape of a mortarboard is believed to signify a book, chosen in recognition of scholarly achievements.

What is the history of the academic cap?

However, graduation caps were not popularized until the 15th century. Initially, they were a take on Catholic birettas, which priests and scholars wore from the 14th century onward. Unlike today's graduation caps, though, the Catholic biretta had three peaks and a large tuft in the center.

What does the academic cap symbolize?

According to legend, the privilege of wearing a cap was the initial right of a freed Roman slave. The academic cap, therefore, has become a sign of the freedom of scholarship. The flowing gown has become symbolic of the democracy of scholarship, for it covers clothing that could indicate rank or social stratum.

Why do graduates wear robes and square hats?

So why do people wear long black robes and mortarboard hats for graduation ceremonies? The tradition of caps and gowns dates back to the Middle Ages at Oxford in England when academic buildings were not heated, and students and teachers wore hooded gowns daily to stay warm.

Why Do Graduates Wear Caps and Gowns and Judges Wear Robes?

What is the name of the square graduation cap?

Every graduate wears a four-cornered, black tasselled square hat during convocation. Square hats are also called mortarboard hats and funny hats.

What are square hats called?

Mortarboard: Square Academic Hat.

How did the graduation cap come about?

Many scholars believe the mortarboard style cap graduates don was developed from the biretta, a similar-looking Italian hat worn by Roman Catholic clergy. In the 12th and 13th centuries, students and teachers typically wore clerical clothing because the church was highly influential at this time.

What is the academic cap worn during graduation?

What is the graduate hat for? The graduate hat (also known as an academic cap, graduate cap, mortarboard, or trencher) is part of the formal academic attire to be worn by graduating students (graduands) during the graduation ceremony.

Why do only female graduates wear caps?

There are a few reasons why only female graduates wear caps. First, it is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. Second, caps are seen as a symbol of intelligence and success, and female graduates have worked hard to earn their degrees.

What was the cap invented for?

The Cap's History

There was a baseball team back in 1849, out of New York City called, the Knickerbockers. During the games, they would wear straw caps on their heads to give them cover from the sun, which became the first version of the cap we now know and love.

What are the different academic caps?

Academic caps include the mortarboard, velvet tams, and Beefeater. Velvet tams are ordinarily worn by faculty members with doctoral degrees. These doctoral tams are available in your choice of 4 - or 6 - or 8 sided models.

What does the graduation cap symbolize?

The cap and gown are not just traditional attire, but they are also a symbol of pride, achievement, and success. Wearing regalia during graduation signifies the hard work, dedication, and perseverance that it takes to complete a college degree.

What does the gold tassel on a graduation cap mean?

A gold graduation tassel is one of the most popular options for high schools, or for students who are graduating with special honors. Gold tassels may be reserved for those who are on the Dean's list, or for those students who are being recognized for special services to the school.

Should I keep my graduation cap?

We always recommend that after certain graduation traditions, such as the throwing of your graduation cap, you retrieve your graduation cap for keepsake. We also always recommend removing your graduation tassel before throwing your cap, so at the very least, you will have a tassel as a keepsake.

What is a PhD graduation hat called?

The Doctoral Tam: The academic tam is a hat worn with the gown and hood. It is usually made of black velvet and features a tassel in a specific color that represents the degree being conferred. For example, a blue tassel signifies a PhD degree, while a gold tassel signifies an EdD degree.

What is the history of the graduation cap and gown?

Caps and Gowns

Graduation gowns evolved from the long clerics' garments worn by medieval scholars as far back as the 12^th century, according to the American Council on Education's guide to academic regalia.

Why do masters students get hooded?

After your degree is conferred, move the tassel to the left. The master's hood is a modern interpretation of the hooded robes worn by medieval monks who taught in the early universities. The monks would use their hoods to keep warm in the winters and also to collect alms.

What is the name of the academic hat?

The graduate hat (also known as an academic cap, graduate cap, mortarboard, or trencher) is part of the formal academic attire to be worn by graduating students (graduands) during the graduation ceremony.

Where did academic regalia come from?

In England the history of academic dress reaches back to the early days of the oldest schools. As early as the second half of the fourteenth century, the statutes of certain colleges prohibited "excess in apparel" and required the wearing of a long gown.

What is it called when you move your tassel at graduation?

There is a graduation tradition called the turning of the tassel. As tradition goes, there comes a time during the ceremony when the graduates are asked to flip their tassel from one side of their cap to another and this signifies the earning of a degree.

Why do teachers wear gowns at graduation?

Students and teachers would also wear gowns, hoods, and various styles of caps. The gowns were practical and functional, providing warmth and protection in the cold medieval cathedrals and universities. The caps and gowns also helped to distinguish their religious and scholarly status and were worn throughout the year.

What does the graduation cap and gown symbolize?

After the Civil War, academic regalia was reserved strictly for graduation. For that reason, the cap and gown symbolize recognition and achievement. While hoods are no longer in use for warmth, they remain in use as a decorative piece representing one's field of study.