Graduation is one of the most exciting days of your life. It is the beginning of a new chapter and is a day of recognition for all your academic achievements. When you think about graduation day, you picture the caps, the gowns, the stage, and the diplomas, but do you ever think about the tassel? It is often overlooked even though it is a significant part of the graduation process. May 17 is National Tassel Day, a day that was created to honor students, their academic achievements, and their journey to a new career-just as the tassel represents.

History & Meaning of the Tassel

Graduation tassels date all the way back to the 14th century, when tassels were used to represent different levels of academic achievement, which is now the role of graduation honor cords. The tassel now represents everything you have accomplished in your academic career. In more recent years, the tassel-flip phenomenon was created to signify the transition from students to graduates. For high school and undergraduate students, the tassel begins on the right side of your mortarboard cap, and you move it to the left side when instructed to during the graduation ceremony. When you earn a master’s degree or doctorate, the tassel stays on the left.

The color of your tassel usually depends on your school colors, though sometimes it can represent the subject a student pursued. Another somewhat recent trend is a charm that is attached to the tassel with the year that you graduated, making it a memento of everything you experienced to earn it: the friendships, the classes, and all the other memorable moments during your academic journey that led you to graduation. It is something that you can have forever to remind yourself of how far you have come.

What You Can Do with Your Tassel After Graduation

Knowing how much sentiment your tassel has may leave you wondering what you can do to display something that represents one of the biggest milestones in your life. A frame that displays both your diploma and tassel is one of the easiest ways to show off what your hard work achieved. Some frame options even have room for your cap to be displayed as well. Once you get everything into the frame, you then have the freedom to display it wherever you want to.

Another great way to show off your tassel is in a shadow box. Although this may lead you to need to be a little more creative, you can add other memories from your graduation to create a collage that you can have forever.

Lastly, a cute way to display your tassel is with a memory tassel ornament. Doing this will keep your tassel from getting damaged or lost, and you can leave it somewhere to be displayed year-round if you want to.

Celebrating National Tassel Day

Graduating is not an easy task, as it involves years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. As time goes by, it can be easy to forget how much went into earning your diploma, which is why National Tassel Day is the perfect reminder of how far you have come. At Bryant & Stratton College, we want to recognize the accomplishments of every graduate for their hard work and commitment to their education. Although traditions may vary depending on your school, one thing-the tassel-will always remain the same, and this graduation season we are excited to have more graduates to celebrate.