The Significance of Graduation Regalia March 28, 2011
When we see the group words ‘academic regalia’ the most common reaction is to think that they are expensive. ‘Regalia’, after all, connotes something pricey but this does not have to be the case all the time. While it is true that you can purchase graduation gowns that are very expensive, there are also a lot of good deals out there where you get both quality and value for your money.
All you need to understand when buying graduation attire is that you need to do some preliminary research and devote some effort to canvassing for the best deals you can get your hands on. It might also be worthwhile to search and shop early because you will be able to get better deals, unlike when shopping during graduation season when everyone else is looking for the same things as yourself and you’ll have a lot of competition for good deals and the best prices.
A storied history and a long tradition
Many people usually dismiss the importance of graduation attire as simply a ‘one day dress’ or ’something you only wear once’. But wearing the appropriate graduation attire is important. For one, many schools and universities do not allow students who wear their graduation gowns improperly to participate in the graduation ceremonies or commencement exercise. There is a lot history behind the use of academic dress and attire, which is why it is part and parcel of the graduation ceremony, and it does the whole event a disservice if you do not wear yours properly.
The academic dress and graduation attire we know today is only worn during formal academic functions, such as graduation ceremonies and commencement exercises. But in medieval times, such attire was worn by academics and scholars every day. It served as means to differentiate them from other social groups, such as merchants and members of the military. There was a certain respect accorded to people wearing these kinds of attire, as it connoted that the wearer was a person of learning. The traditions of academic attire trace their roots to the European universities of Cambridge and Oxford. But as time passed, each university and school adapted their own traditions to the wearing of academic attire, creating their own unique look, as manifested in the adoption of school colors and other customized parts of the regalia and various other graduation accessories.
Graduations are important
Another thing that adds to the importance of graduation attire is the ceremony it belongs to. Many people consider the event to come very rarely in their lives, and so to be part of it is indeed a milestone in the life of a person. But you have to realize that the graduation attire is part of the event, and is part of the package that makes graduations have the appeal and meaning that they do. When one graduates, it signifies his or her formal belonging into a specific society of learned people.