Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Graduation Caps & Academic Robe’s History


Graduation caps are necessary for the graduation day ceremony. In the early 12th century, Universities in Europe invented the use of Academic robe and these caps. 12th century was the time where there were no heaters to keep the students and the faculties warm. So for the graduation ceremony organizing committee came out with a novel idea of using a long robe which will cover the whole body and shield the students from the cold. That is how the academic robe and the caps came into existence. Although at the current scenario, the university halls are well equipped to fight cold, still the old age tradition of the academic robe and the graduation caps are followed.

The evolution & Design of Academic Robe and Caps

The Academic robe and the graduation caps have gone through many changes, and it took a long time and huge team to bring it to its current form. Today every academic institution / branch is represented by an individual and different color. Although academic robes and the caps will be black, the trims of the academic robes will be fitted with different colors based on the academic institution / branch. If a student graduates in Law, he / she have to wear a robe with trim in purple color. If a student graduates in Medicine, he / she have to wear a robe with trim in Kelly green color. Likewise, Pink colored trim is for Music and Apricot colored trim is for nursing. The color coding list is endless. These caps will have a round tubular top, which will fit in your head, and it specially designed to control the flow of your hair. The top of these caps is always a flat rectangle.

What does a color of the cord mean?

You can wear colorful cords on the academic robe. Well, it does not mean that you can use that robe as an accessory. Every colored cord represents your graduation honors. If a graduating student gets an honorary society membership he is given a different colored cord. In the same way, if a graduating student’s Leadership qualities or outstanding performance are recognized, he / she will wear a separate colored cord with his academic robe and these caps.

Which universities use Academic Robe and Graduation Cap?

It is not necessary that only universities and degree colleges should use Academic robe and caps. Initially it was traditionally used only by universities and colleges. Now slowly it has stepped even towards the kindergarten section.

Tossing of Graduation Caps

This age long tradition of tossing the caps after the graduation ceremony is still a favorite part for most of the graduating students. Although most of the times, only children and relatives get the graduation caps. It’s more or like a finder keeper situation. Although, nowadays some universities are coming out with a novel idea of stitching the students name and address inside the graduation cap so that, even if someone found it, they can hand it over to the original owner.

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