graduation caps

When was the first Academic robes and Graduation Caps used?

In 12th century, various European universities invented the use of Academic robe and graduation caps. Days passed and these caps and academic robes became necessary for the graduation day ceremony. The first academic robe and the graduation cap were use to shield the students from the cold wave. During 12th century, the heaters not invented and hence the robe needs to fully cover the body so that the students are warm. The same tradition of wearing academic robe and the graduation caps on the day of graduation is still followed although in the current scenario all the auditoriums are well fit with heater facilities.

Types of Academic Robe and Caps

The Academic robe and these caps in the current form have undergone many changes. At various intervals, the team in-charge of designing the academic robes and the graduation caps intervened and changed the concept and the design. Every academic institution / branch represented by different color. Most of the academic robes and the caps will be black. Only the trims of the academic robes will be fitted with different colors based on the academic institution / branch. The student graduating in law will have to wear a robe with trim in purple color. The student graduating in medicine will have to wear a robe with trim in Kelly Green. Pink colored trim is for Music and Apricot colored trim is for nursing. These caps will have a round tubular top, which will fit in your head, and it is specially design to control the flow of your hair. The top of this cap 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 gives 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 graduation caps.

Is the use of Academic Robe and these Caps restricted to universities?

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

Tossing of these caps

This age long tradition of tossing the graduation 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 is more or like a finders keepers 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.