Graduation Trivia
From Adviceopedia
If the end of an education is coming up soon for you or a loved one, you may have wondered about the ceremonies, attire and other subjects related to graduation trivia.
Graduation Trivia Questions and Answers
Graduation is one of those life events that most of us go through at some point or another. Whether for kindergarten, junior high, high school, college or graduate school, graduation ceremonies tend to share similar elements. Considering these vastly different stages of life, it's quite intriguing that the ceremonies themselves do not differ too much from one another, with a few exceptions here and there. What makes graduation such a ritualistic event? If you don't know your graduation trivia, now is the time to find out and impress your friends!
What Is the Meaning of the Gown?
The cap and gown are traditional elements most commonly associated with graduation. Plenty of background information exists on these two pieces, not surprising considering their origins date back centuries. In the 1300s, scholars and clerics at European universities would wear long robes to stay warm and comfortable in the largely unheated buildings. The practice became so common that, eventually, the robes and gowns were recognized as "official" attire, with little to no room allowed for leeway.
What Is the Meaning of the Cap?
The mortarboard cap is a structured headpiece with a flat top and fitted bottom. Its origins date back centuries as well, to the time when clergymen would wear them as protective head coverings and they were ideal for staying warm in cold temperatures. As with the gown, the cap eventually became official graduation attire. Interestingly, the cap also came to symbolize learned individuals, such as doctors and teachers, and was worn frequently across varying professional industries.
Why Do Hoods Differ in Color?
Here's some intriguing graduation trivia that will delight fashion-conscious individuals. The trim on the hoods of individuals graduating with Master's degrees is lined with a particular color that denotes a specific field of study. This color system, created by Gardner Cotrell Leonard in the late 1800s, isolates each subject by color. The graduate's hood is lined with the color that corresponds with the subject in which he or she is graduating. Samplings of the colors include:
- White: arts and humanities
- Lilac: dentistry
- Light Blue: economics
- Brown: fine arts
- Crimson: journalism
- Purple: law
- Green: medicine
- Pink: music
- Dark blue: philosophy
- Yellow: science
How Is the Tassel Worn?
Tassels are turned from one side to the other after the diplomas have been dispersed. The direction it originally faces is occasionally dependent on school tradition, but is usually moved from the right to the left.
How Do the Gowns Differ?
Gowns vary according to the degree that the individual receives. A Bachelor's graduate will wear a gown with pointed sleeves; a Master's graduate's gown features long, narrow sleeves with slits in the arms and a slim hood; and a Doctorate's graduate's gown features eye-catching bell-shaped arms and a wide hood.
What Is the History of the Diploma?
While most students focus simply on actually getting that very special piece of paper, there's quite a history behind that innocuous little white sheet. In their earliest days, they constructed diplomas of sheepskin, rolled tightly and secured with a ribbon. The use of animal skin was favored because paper was expensive to produce. Eventually paper parchment replaced sheepskin.
What Is the Significance of "Pomp and Circumstance"?
The famous tune, created by Sir Edward Elgar, became a graduation ceremony mainstay in 1905 at Yale University. It was there that Elgar received an honorary degree from his friend, music professor Samuel Sanford. At Sanford's request, the ceremony paid homage to Elgar's various works, and "Pomp and Circumstance" played as the graduates filed out of the auditorium. Other schools, such as Princeton and Columbia, adopted the song and made it part of their own ceremonies, and before long the majority of schools used it as the official processional graduation song.
What Is the History of the Class Ring?
The class ring dates back to 1835, when West Point Academy students designed rings to celebrate their graduation. The practice caught the attention of other major universities, and before long, it was part of the complete graduation tradition. Class rings are generally seen as "rites of passage" accessories that symbolize achievement and skill.
