THE EASTER BONNET
The custom of wearing hats at Easter is tied to the American tradition of The Easter Parade, which emerged in the 1870s after the end of the Civil War.
People would stream out of the churches following the Easter service, dressed up to the nines in their best hats.
The first Easter Parade was the Fifth Avenue Parade in New York in 1870.
It wasn’t an organised affair, but came into being when the people came out of St Patricks Cathedral, and surrounding churches, and walked down 5th Avenue.
Each successive year, it gained in popularity reaching a peak in the 1940s where it’s estimated a million people attended.
Unfortunately, as it grew, it lost some of its religious significance and became more about a show of prosperity and frivolity.
These days the New York parade is a much smaller affair with about 30,000 showing up each year to flaunt their hats.
The Easter Parade 1890~WikiCommons
