GAIL DRAKE: Where did we get this ‘pomp and circumstance?’

The rustle of robes, the clicking of heels. With the warming days and blooming flowers, spring emerges with another beloved ritual: graduation ceremonies. From adorable kindergarten “graduations” – who could resist those photo ops – to high school community events on the local football field, to college ceremonies at packed stadiums, to more austere events in cramped auditoriums – the proud traditions of graduation ceremonies have been a part of the American fabric since the Colonial days. So where exactly did these robes, caps, tassels, songs and ceremonies come from?

The Gown, the Town, the Crown. The tradition of robes goes back to 12th-century Europe when the first universities were founded. The scholars who taught at Oxford, England’s oldest university, were clergy from the Catholic Church, then later the Church of England under the dominance of King Henry VIII. Students adopted the clerical garb of their religious teachers.

In the 13th century, rioting between the townspeople of Oxford and the students (the school is scattered throughout the town) led to the building of residence halls for students, who wore robes to distinguish themselves. Furthermore, as the drafty stone halls were not heated, robes and hoods were necessary for warmth. English statutes in the 14th century banned “excess in apparel” in college and required the wearing of long gowns.

“Across the pond,” Englishmen adopted English practices when founding the first American universities of Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other colleges. On March 13, 1789, the Corporation of Brown University decreed that “the Candidates for Bachelor’s degrees, being Alumni of the College should be clad at Commencement in black flowing robes and caps.”

Graduate cap. The square board attached to a skull cap with tassel is often called a mortarboard because it resembles the flat board used by masons to hold mortar while laying bricks. Most scholars believe this cap developed from the biretta, a square box hat worn by Catholic clergy. Usually in bright shades of red, birettas were often worn by Italian nobles as a sign of power. Today, the tear-jerking moment of commencement is when the graduates move their tassels from right to left, symbolizing completion of their academic work.

Pomp and Circumstance. In 1902 Edward Elgar performed his composition for the coronation of Britain’s Edward VII (son of Queen Victoria). The familiar tune is actually one of six “Pomp and Circumstance Marches,” the title referring to a line from Shakespeare’s Othello, Act III, “Farewell … pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war.” Four years later, Elgar received an honorary doctorate at Yale University and the symphony played portions of his composition. The next year Princeton played it, then Columbia played it … Now the “regal melody and stately tempo” marches in virtually every American graduate.

Throwing the Cap. At one time a common occurrence until banned because of injuries, throwing the graduation cap was a symbol of “We did it!” The tradition began at the Naval Academy in 1912, when the graduates received their officer hats and decided to toss their midshipmen hats upon graduation. Again, a great photo op – preferably after family pics.

Graduation leis. Ahh, the Hawaiians do it best. I was honored to attend a Hawaiian graduation years ago. After the ceremony, family members and friends each draped their graduate with leis made of leaves, orchids, plumerias, kukui nuts, candy, money. They were stacked up so high the graduates were buried to their noses in flowers.

My own high school graduation ceremony, a couple of decades ago in a quaint town outside Detroit, celebrated 300-plus rowdy students. The monotony of reciting all those names was alleviated somewhat by a 3-foot beach ball bounced around by the graduates. In the middle of the ceremony a helicopter flew over the football field and looped three times, towing a banner that read “Brian Kennedy – 78 — Love Mom & Dad.” All eyes turned to Brian and he shook his head. Apparently, his exasperated parents declared that if he ever graduated, they would write his name across the sky.

In a few weeks my beautiful daughter will cross the stage in her cap and gown, completing a major milestone in her life. What a joy. A gracious young lady with a compassionate spirit, a keen intellect. With gratitude to all her amazing teachers who have invested in her life and imparted exceptional training, both academic and life skills. She is so ready to celebrate and commence a new chapter in her life in medical missions. I’m not so sure I am.