National Hat Day
From beanies to fedoras, there's a hat for every occasion — express your personality and add a touch of flair to any outfit.
“That season we were loaded with pizazz. Earrings of fuchsia and peach. Mind you, peach. And hats. Hats, hats, hats for career girls,” – This quote from To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, perhaps defines one of the most amazing things about hats. They enable the person wearing them to be just about anything they aspire to be, and to bring a sprig of style to an outfit that will truly round it out.
From protecting the head from the cold or heat of the day, to just expressing who a person is to the world, National Hat Day is a great day to sport the very best in headgear.
And it’s also the perfect time to learn about this history of hats as well as finding creative ways to celebrate!
History of National Hat Day
Hats have been in the world since at least 3000 BC. This is known because an image of a man wearing a hat that seemed to be made of straw was discovered in a mural from that period of time.
Since then, hats have served some incredibly diverse purposes, from simple protective wear to help those stuck out in the rain, cold, or hot sun, to indicating various degrees of status and rank in political, royal or other communities. Who doesn’t recognize a crown as the ultimate mark of royalty?
Hats have undergone an immense amount of changes, with varieties appearing all over the world in every possible culture. Whether for the soldier protecting his skull from incoming damage, the lieutenant making sure that his troops know where to look for direction, or the dapper gentleman in the Top Hat on his way to the opera, almost everyone can have a love of, and a use for, hats.
National Hat Day is the best time for anyone to break out that favorite headgear, and use it to make a huge impression.
How to Celebrate National Hat Day
Getting into the spirit of National Hat Day certainly isn’t hard! It’s a fun and whimsical day to celebrate and enjoy. But, there are many more ways to commemorate the day than just putting on a hat. Try out some of these ideas:
Learn More About Hats
Impress friends, family members and coworkers by sharing fun facts and tidbits of trivia related to National Hat Day. Try these on for size or find some other fun hat facts to share on the day:
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The tall, white hats that are worn by chefs (called “toques”) are meant to have 100 pleats. This number is supposed to represent the number of ways that an egg can be prepared. This special hat was meant to establish an understanding of hierarchy in the kitchen, so everyone would know who the head chef was just by glancing!
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Ever wonder why those black taxis in London are so tall? It’s not simply because it looked good or was necessary for engineering purposes. No, it’s much more practical than that. It’s because the black taxis were made so that a gentleman could get into a taxi without needing to take off his top hat.
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The phrase “mad as a hatter” has its origins in the way that felted hats were originally made. Hatmakers would use felt which often contained mercury, a toxic substance that can cause damage to the nervous system–including dementia, which made the hatters seem insane.
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Dunce hats, tall and pointy, were created by John Duns Scots. Their intention was the opposite of how they are known in modern times. They were made with the intention of creating wisdom and some people even thought they would connect the wearer to the gods. Later, however, they became associated with shaming and poor behavior.
Host a Hat Themed Party
Why let National Hat Day go by without getting friends, neighbors or family together to celebrate. Invite everyone over for a fun gathering where they wear their favorite hat. Give away a prize for the person with the most absurd choice of hat. Make cutout cookies in the shape of cowboy hats or top hats.
Have a Hat Day at Work
Spending the whole day at work? Arrange ahead of time for everyone at the office to wear a unique and fun hat in celebration of the day and bring in some of the hat-shaped treats (mentioned above) to share.
Get Creative with Different Hat Uses
It would be impossible to list every possible use for hats here, but National Hat Day is the ideal time to really dig in deep and find out what all hats have to offer. Some of the most popular hats these days are animal hats. These are formed into fuzzy, animal-head style hats with long arms that dangle down to warm the ears, secure the hat to the head when tied, or just to simply be adorable!
Baseball caps are available that display far more than just team affiliation, they can share a message of spirituality, fandom for a particular franchise, or even display a favorite sport –which does not have to be baseball! Baseball hats can show support for favorite football teams, hockey teams, soccer clubs, and more.
How many fishermen can be found out there on the banks of their favorite rivers fishing for sport without a hat? They’re almost always going to be found wearing some sort of headgear or another, to keep the elements away.
Get creative today, and celebrate the diverse history and enjoyment of Hats!
