Graduation is a formal affair that honors students who have successfully completed their coursework. The graduation occasion carries a lot of symbolism both in the ceremony activities and the attire worn. It is mandatory for graduating students to put on special graduation attire during the ceremony. This attire is used to distinguish and identify graduates depending on the level of educational
. award they are receiving. The tradition of wearing special attire or regalia during graduation ceremony dates back to around the 12th century. The early graduation regalia consisted of robes based on those worn by scholars and clerics. Today, graduation attire includes a graduation gown, a stole, a hood and a cap. The American Council on Education provides the guidelines for graduation regalia used by educational institutions in the United States. Graduation caps must be worn by both men and women graduates. Men may take off the cap during prayer or while the national anthem is being played. The graduation cap consists of a mortarboard with a single tassel attached to it. The approved tassel color for American educational institutions is black. Tassels which are made based on the colors of the educational institution awarding the degrees are allowed. However, the gold color is reserved for tassels of students graduating with a doctoral degree. There is a specific way to wear the tassel on a graduation cap. For students who are receiving their masters or doctorate degree, the tassel on the graduation cap is worn hanging off the left side of the cap. Students receiving their undergraduate degree wear the graduation cap with the tassel hanging off the right side of the head. Once the degree is conferred, the student is required to move the tassel so that it sits hanging off the opposite side of the graduation cap. This symbolizes that the student has moved to a higher educational level. http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=39133 or http://graduation.tamu.edu/history.html
