Colorful, hooded, free flowing sheet of cloth with shiny cords, square caps with dropping tassels- surely, it answers the question what is graduation regalia. Usually, these things can be seen during the most successful day of students, the commencement exercises wherein awards are granted and accomplishments are rewarded to each graduate.
The graduation regalia really matters because it symbolizes the skills and excellence achieved by students. Just imagine a graduation ceremony wherein only casual attires like shirts, pants, dress, and others are worn, there’s no special in it. Everyone can wear it everyday. It’s very different to have something to wear on that not everybody could afford to wear. One can feel self-worth in it for one belongs to lucky people who can wear it.
It might look so simple but the whole meaning of the graduation regalia are so complex. One has faced all the trials and battles mentally, emotionally, and physically just to pass the mind-hazard examinations, laborious projects, terror professors, and playful classmates. Isn't it easy?
Since the commencement exercises are coming, there are many graduation regalia stores that are open for service. One must know about the nature of the graduation regalia so that the right one will be chosen.
The variations of these graduation gowns can be traced through its history and that would be part of explaining the question what is graduation regalia. The styles of the academic dresses are based on the secular and ecclesiastical contacts in the earliest development of universities. The priests and clergies who managed the academic institutions wore clothing with cape and hood to protect them from bad weather. During that time, the trend of dresses of the laity of all classes of the community was like that. The only difference on their wardrobe is the cappa clausa which was only worn by high authorities of the society. Through time, there were innovations on styles of academic dresses. Each country has set different designs on their graduation gowns. These graduation regalia pattern are composed of a headgear (mortarboard, Tudor bonnet or John Knox cap), robe and hood.
As we have observed, these graduation gowns or its hoods have different colors for they represent various fields of disciplines. These colors have been largely standardized in the United States by the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume, and accepted by the American Council on Education in its Academic Costume Code. Dealing with it is answering what is graduation regalia.
Another part of the regalia is the cap. It would not complete the essence of the graduation regalia if cap is not included. The cap can be a mortarboard or a tam. Mortarboard is used for the preschool, grade school, middle school or high school, college, and post graduate studies, particularly, master’s degree. Tam is only used exclusively for the doctoral degrees.
There are many styles and colors of academic dresses. The whole essence of what is graduation regalia depends on the person wearing it, if one is worthy of it or not.
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