Why Do People Toss Their Graduation Caps during Graduation Ceremonies?
December 1st, 2009
Almost all people who attended schools would surely have the chance to attend at least one graduation ceremony in their lives. Students wearing their graduation caps, graduation gowns and going up to the stage to collect their certificates before the audience mark the importance of this very successful day for the students. This day could also be the starting journey of another life, which is to enter the stressful working society. However, has anyone ever wondered why do students suddenly toss their graduation caps during the ceremonies? Won’t it be very weird and embarrassing to simply take off the graduation caps and just throw them into the air? In fact, this cap tossing has slowly integrated into a tradition of all schools across countries. Today, you can see many schools that have adopted this practice of cap tossing, whenever there are graduation ceremonies. Where does this cap tossing come from or when did it start? Is there any deep meaning involved in this cap tossing? These will be shortly revealed in the next few paragraphs.
The culture of the cap tossing originated from the United States Naval Academy, which is located in Annapolis, also known as Maryland. The very first time that such similar cap tossing occurred took place in the year 1912. Why is there such an action? This is because in that year, it was the very first time that sailors and seamen were being appointed as officers. To commemorate this very day, these sailors and seamen who were being appointed as officers were given officer hats to distinguish their status and rank level from other seamen. As a result, the old caps that they were wearing previously as sailors and seamen, before they were finally appointed as sea officers, were being tossed into the air, as they no longer need their old caps. Hence, they simply tossed their old caps into the air to welcome the receiving of their new hats. Since then, this incident was then passed on through generations and generations, and until now, all schools and universities across all countries have followed this practice of tossing the graduation caps during graduation ceremonies. The culture of cap tossing also signifies the students’ success of being able to move on to the next higher level, as what is indicated in the career advancement from sailors and seamen to sea officers.
So, next time when you happen to be at a graduation ceremony, and when you see students tossing their graduation caps into the air, do not be surprised or shocked. This is because this practice of cap tossing definitely marks the joy and happiness of the students’ moods as they finally have made it through their difficult and hard years of studying. The tradition of cap tossing also represents the significance of this big and memorable day for them. Perhaps, you can also join in the fun together with them at the graduation ceremony and toss the caps into the air all at once and smile!
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