Why Do Graduates Wear Square Hats?

Graduation is a joyous time to celebrate the milestone of academic accomplishment. It’s a time for family and friends to come together to show how proud they are of what the graduates have achieved. Wearing a graduation hat and gown to the ceremony is an age-old tradition, especially in Western countries.

Walking down the aisle wearing a cap and gown, with your diploma in hand, creates an immense feeling of pride and happiness at finally closing one chapter of life and starting the path to adulthood.

While students can customise their graduation hats, their square shape does not usually change.

So what exactly is the origin of the square graduation caps?

The square academic cap or mortarboard is said to have been developed from the biretta, a similar-looking hat worn in the 14th and 15th centuries by Roman Catholic clergy. The biretta symbolised power and intelligence and was used to identify humanists, students, artists, and blooming youth in general. 

The mortarboard was initially reserved for holders of master’s degrees in the medieval era but was later adopted by bachelors and undergraduates.

In the United States, the origin of the square graduate caps can be traced back to a 1950 patent filed by inventor Edward O’Reilly and Catholic priest Joseph Durham. The patent improved the traditional design of the cap by including a metal filling that made it sturdier. That design has been the standard since its creation and can be found commonly across the world.

Graduation caps also have tassels hanging from one side. They are of different styles: in the UK the tassel starts from the button on the center of the board whereas in the US the tassel is longer and gathered at a cord attached to the button.

Tassels can also signify the subject, school color, or level of degree obtained. Sometimes a tassel of a distinctive colour such as gold is worn by those on the “honor roll” or those graduating cum laude.

On the other hand, the custom of wearing a gown to graduation started as a necessity during the 12th century when universities were still beginning to be formed in Europe.

At that time, there was no heating system provided in universities, and so students were forced to improvise to keep warm during the cold winter months. What started as long robes with hoods to conserve heat, were later made the official dress of students to prevent excessive apparel.

Graduation gowns and caps symbolize how special the day of graduation is, as only the ones who made it with all the toil and perseverance, they put into their education, are given the right to wear it.

They signify the end of a long and hard yet successful journey, and that is why students cherish and preserve them for years to come or even for their entire lives.