Why are graduation hats shaped the way they are?

The square academic cap, also called a mortarboard due to the similarity to the mortarboard used by brick masons to hold mortar, is based on British customs and is customarily worn by graduates in many countries including the United States.

Why are graduation caps shaped like that?

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 shape of the graduation hat called?

The square academic cap, graduate cap, cap, mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the mortarboard used by brickmasons to hold mortar) or Oxford cap is an item of academic dress consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel attached to the centre.

What does the hat symbolize in graduation?

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.

Why do graduation gowns look the way they do?

Students and teachers typically wore clerical clothing because the church was highly influential at this time. Many professors were priests, monks or clerics and their students were usually studying to do something similar. Historians believe scholars wore long robes and hoods to keep warm in these unheated buildings.

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

Where did graduation caps come from?

However, the academic cap actually originates from a different style of cap called a 'biretta'. The biretta was a tall round cap, first used by Roman Catholic clergy in Italy in the middle ages. The shape then evolved to have a seam up four sides, creating a square shape with corners.

What are the rules for graduation hats?

Wear your mortarboard like the academic pro you are. Place the cap on your head so the point is in the front, about 1 inch above the eyebrows. Your mortarboard should be worn level on your head, and the tassel should be placed on the right side.

Why are graduates hooded?

Hoods seem to have served to cover the tonsured head until superseded for that purpose by the skull cap. Today, hoods are the most expressive component of the academic costume. They serve to communicate the owner's school, degree and field of study through their length and the colors of the lining and binding.

Do you keep your graduation hat?

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.

Who invented the graduation hat?

Introduction of Modern-Day Graduation Caps

By 1950, a Catholic priest named Joseph Durham and an inventor named Edward O'Reilly were working together to file a mortarboard patent in the United States. They realized that fiberglass could increase the mortarboard stiffness, leading to the iconic graduation cap.

What is the black graduation hat called?

Mortarboard Hats

This type of graduation ceremony cap is traditionally worn by Bachelors and Masters graduates but is now worn by students at graduation ceremonies of all ages.

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.

What is the thing that hangs around your neck at graduation?

A graduation stole, also known as academic stoles or honor stoles, is a sash that denotes academic achievement, extracurricular success, or membership in a specific organization.

Do all master students get hooded?

The master's degree recipient typically wears a hood in the color that represents their school or college. The robe has an oddly shaped sleeve. The doctoral degree recipient can be indentified by the blue hood, velvet facing down the front of the robe and a gold tassel on the cap.

What does 3 stripes on a graduation gown mean?

There is a narrative from medieval times that describes the nature of the three chevrons on the sleeve of a doctoral robe. As legend has it, those three stripes stand for the three pillars of doctoral scholarship: academic curiosity, academic honesty, and academic courage.

Why do masters robes have weird sleeves?

Today, master's gowns are generally worn closed, but for the first sixty-five years of American academic costume history, they were worn open in the front. The sleeve design of the master's gown required a jacket to be worn underneath, otherwise the wearer's bare arms would show and create an awkward appearance.

Who gets puffy hat at graduation?

Graduation Tam

Also known as a Tudor bonnet, this special cap is reserved for master's and doctorate recipients. During the graduation ceremony, it is also worn by professors and academic officials. Typically, the academic tam is made with fluffy velvet material in a circular design.

Is it better to size up or down for graduation hat?

All Churchill Gowns graduation caps feature a soft skull and adjustable elastic insert, allowing for some flexibility in sizing. However, if you are an in-between size, then we still recommend selecting a larger size.

Can you throw your graduation hat?

Some schools embrace the tradition, while others have banned cap-tossing altogether. Several institutions have taken a middle ground stance, giving graduates soft caps to prevent injuries (the corners on traditional caps are sharp!). Have you tossed a cap?

What does a red graduation tassel mean?

Silver - Indicates participation in community service and symbolizes hope and kindness. Purple - Indicates excellence in a career in technical education. Red - Students involved in many organizations or student government. Gold - Symbolizes high honors and or a high GPA. Black - Excellent leadership skills in students.

Does tassel color matter?

Generally, the color of the tassel coincides with your high school or college's school colors. The same color is used to represent your connection to the school.

What is a short quote for graduation day?

Inspirational graduation quotes

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own.

What is the doctoral hat called?

Colleges choose how many sides they use for their tams, and whether or not a Master's Degree candidate wears a tam or mortarboard (Doctoral candidates always wear a tam).

What is a graduation robe called?

The black robes worn by graduating students and their faculty are known as academic “regalia” – and there's a difference between a master's degree gown vs bachelor's. While undergraduate graduation robes may all seem the same, at the graduate level regalia tell a rich story of the graduate's academic journey.