Can anyone wear a stole at graduation?
You don’t have to wear a stole to your school graduation. In fact, most schools don’t require you to do so – and plenty of people choose not to wear them. With that being said, you should ask around whether everyone else will wear them or not. A lot of students will probably wear them since stoles help you display your achievements and there aren’t one too many opportunities in life to use them.
Why do graduates wear stoles?
School graduates wear a stole to display their academic achievements during graduation. It also helps display involvement in different areas of an organization, such as a fraternity or sorority. At the same time, graduates decide to wear stoles out of respect for a long-standing tradition. As a side note, sometimes wearing stoles is mandatory – and many will wear them because they have to.
Can anyone wear a stole?
Under most circumstances where wearing a stole is optional, you can probably wear one with no issues.
Keep in mind anyone can wear a stole, but anyone can’t wear any stole. Certain stoles can only be worn by people involved in an organization, like a fraternity or a sorority. You’ll have to be respectful of certain traditions if you decide to wear one.
Can you wear any stole to graduation?
Certain types of stoles could be off-limits to you. It’s not that you will not be able to physically wear them – but it would be disrespectful for certain people to do so. For example, if you’re not in a fraternity, you shouldn’t wear their stole to graduation, as some would consider that offensive and disrespectful. You shouldn’t display achievements you didn’t get in your stole either.
Can anyone wear a stole at graduation? – Related Questions
Who wears stoles at high school graduation?
Students will wear stoles during their graduation. Some stoles are generic, others represent a special achievement or involvement with an organization. For example, there are specific stoles for valedictorians and salutatorians; some for belonging to a science club or for volunteering in the past.
A school may design a stole to commemorate a special event, but this is far from common.
Who wears a stole other than graduates?
Stoles are not a graduation thing alone. Certain religious institutions, such as the Catholic Church, have stoles. Priests and bishops usually wear ecclesiastical vestments, sometimes in the form of stoles. Other religions, such as the Anglican Church and Protestant denominations, can also have their priests wearing stoles. They are not the same as graduation stoles, but somewhat similar.
Why do Priests kiss the stole?
It’s part of the religious tradition and liturgy for a priest to kiss a stole. If you pay close attention, you may see there’s a cross in religious stoles – and priests kiss that exact part acknowledging the yoke of service. That same cross is close to the priest’s or bishop’s heart when it’s being worn.
What does a stole look like?
A stole is like a small version of a shawl – and way more formal than one. It’s long enough to wrap your whole body, ranging from 5 to 6 feet long and 2 to 4 feet wide. A stole is usually made out of silk, satin, or chiffon. This garment doesn’t weigh that much. It comes in many colors, depending on the occasion and who’s wearing it.
What is the difference between a sash and a stole?
While similar, a sash and a stole are visually different and represent different things. A stole hangs from the neck down while the sash goes around your body.
They are also worn at different times: a stole is a more traditional garment and the go-to choice during graduation; a sash is more of a thing for other events.
What do stole colors mean?
Some stole colors have meaning, others not so much. Sometimes, stoles will sport the school’s colors. Other times, stoles will have the colors of an organization. In college graduations, the stole’s colors may represent a fraternity, sorority, or a graduate’s field of study.
Certain students will decide the color of the stole out of preference, with no meaning behind it at all.
What does a white graduation stole mean?
Depending on whether the stole represents membership to a club or organization, a leadership position, or something similar, a white stole can mean many things. Sometimes, white is the color of said club or organization.
For most students, it symbolizes the end of an era, an inspiration to start their new challenge in life anew and full of expectations.
What does a red stole mean?
A red stole is usually worn by college graduates who studied a degree in engineering, a tech-related field, and, sometimes, journalism. At the same time, a red stole can also mean having participated in an academic group or a school activity. Red is also a common color for colleges, and it could be the color of choice of the graduate’s school.
What does a pink graduation stole mean?
A pink stole usually means having an achievement of sorts. While graduating from school is an achievement in and of itself, pink stoles usually mean something more than getting your high school diploma or college degree. For college specifically, pink is usually used for achievements related to the area of music, like involvement in a band.
What does the purple stole symbolism?
Purple has forever been the color of wisdom and integrity. It’s usually the color of choice for most college stoles. It is also used to represent achievements in academic areas. At the same time, purple usually represents transformation, which is the perfect color metaphor for graduates.
While purple usually represents great things, some people decide to wear a purple stole because it looks good.
What does a silver stole mean?
Silver stoles are usually reserved for achievements related to medical sciences or math. Some schools use it to represent accomplishments in agricultural fields. Certain fraternities and sororities also prefer to use silver as their color of choice.
What does a blue graduation sash mean?
Sashes are similar to stoles, and each color they may have usually represents something. Blue is for history; purple for law; white for history, beige for business, yellow for science and math; dark blue for philosophy.
Can I wear two stoles at graduation?
You can wear two stoles at graduation, but it’s usually not the best idea. One stole is enough, and if you decide to wear two or more, most people will only get to see the one you have on top.
With that being said, if you were in two clubs or similar, you can wear your two stoles proudly.
Can you wear a stole with a hood?
It’s common for graduates to wear a stole with a hood, but you should check with your school’s rules and regulations regarding attire and garments before you decide to show up wearing both. It’s far from likely that you’ll get in trouble for wearing a stole with a hood – but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Does stole go over or under hood?
If you decide to wear a stole with a hood, you should know there’s an order of things. The hood goes first, and the stole goes over it. Wearing it differently (i.e., the hood over the stole) is the wrong way to do things, at least from a traditional point of view.
What is the Stole of Gratitude?
The Stole of Gratitude is worn by a particular student during the commencement ceremony. Once the ceremony is over, this student will present the stole to someone else, someone who has helped and supported the student, for example, parents or mentors.
What do graduation cords mean?
An honor cord, also known as a graduation rope, is similar to a stole: it represents an achievement or accomplishment during their time in school. Different achievements in different areas are represented by different cord colors. Cords can also represent achievements outside the school.
What GPA do you need to get a cord?
Depending on your school, you may need a high GPA. It usually starts at a 3.5 GPA and changes the higher it gets. For Cum Laude, you may need a 3.5 GPA minimum; for Magna Cum Laude, you may need a 3.8 GPA; for Summa Cum Laude, you may need a perfect GPA score.
What does a gold honor cord mean at graduation?
A gold honor cord represents having obtained at least one of the highest achievements possible in a school. It may represent belonging to the National Honor Society and other great academic achievements, among other things.
What does a red honor cord mean at graduation?
Similar to red stoles, a red cord could represent a degree in journalism. In certain schools, it could also represent a degree in public health and music.
It’s also used to represent the membership to clubs and certain societies.
How many graduation cords should you wear?
Unlike stoles, you can wear more than one cord at the same time. Sometimes, you'll be encouraged to do so. For example, there are pairs of honor cords that may represent your college degree and receiving a diploma with honors.
