Graduation, whether from high school, college, or university, is one of the most important events in your life. To help you avoid any last-minute headaches regarding your graduation attire, read our tips on wearing, and moving the tassel on your graduation day.

How to Attach your Tassel to the Graduation Cap?

Follow these steps to ensure your tassel is firmly fixed on your graduation hat.

Step 1: Before you fit the tassel onto the hat, brush the tassel to ensure that it is not tangled and that it looks tidy.

Step 2: Next, place your graduation hat (mortarboard) on a table, so the front of the cap is pointing towards you.

* On the inside of most graduation caps, you will see a place that says “front” or “front side” of the hat. 

Step 3: Then, put the loop of the tassel over the button, which is at the center of the cap, and pull it towards you.

Step 4: Then crisscross the loop to form an ‘X’ underneath the button of the mortarboard.

Step 5: Finally, pull both ends of the loop towards the button until you hear the loop snap in place.

Once you hear the snap, the tassel is firmly secured on the top of the hat. To double-check, give the tassel a quick jerk to ensure it is firmly in place.

What side Does the Tassel go on for Graduation?

For College and High-School Graduates

The following applies to both college and high-school graduates.

Before the graduation ceremony, college graduates start with the tassel on the right side of their cap. The tassel should hang over the right side of the cap, on the part closest to your face.

The tassel will stay on this side for the graduation ceremony.

After you receive your degree, you will move the tassel to the left side of your hat.

This is called the turning of the tassel, and this tradition started in the 1970s.

In most colleges, the tradition of moving the tassel is carried out in unison after the graduation speaker instructs you to, like in this video.

In some colleges, each graduate moves their tassel after they receive their degree.

In a few other colleges, the graduates are asked to move the tassel to the left while being given a college degree.

Therefore, it is a good idea to ask your college to make sure which tradition they follow or whether they have their own tradition.

Regardless, the turning of the tassel is a symbolic tradition that started in the 1970s and shows that you have graduated.

Once you move to the tassel, you are officially a college graduate and can begin the celebration.

Tip 1: Practice moving the tassel a couple of times before the graduation ceremony. You don’t want the tassel to fall off or get stuck on graduation day. You can see in the video above that a lot of people are having trouble smoothly moving the tassel to the left. 

Tip 2: Keep the tassel away from the photographer for the best photos, as shown in the picture below. This prevents the tassel from obstructing your face and tampering with your cherished moment. It is also best to take photos with the tassel on your right side to celebrate the degree you just received.

For Post-Graduates (Masters and Doctorate)

The tradition of turning the tassel is only for college and high-school graduates and not for post-graduates.

For post-graduates, the tassel drapes on the cap’s left side before, during, and after graduating.

Since most colleges have a single graduation ceremony for undergrads and postgrads, this difference in tassel placement distinguishes undergrads from postgrads. It also signifies that postgrads already have a college degree.

FAQs

Do you wear two tassels at college graduation?

Some colleges have special tassels for students graduating with double majors, honors degrees, unique sports ability or other accomplishments. If you get two tassels, wear both as you deserve to show your achievements on your graduation day.

How many tassels do you need for college graduation?

Colleges usually require everyone to wear one tassel of the same color to ensure uniformity among their graduates. However, some colleges have additional tassels for students with extraordinary achievements like ‘cum laude’ or ‘magnum cum laude.’

Moreover, some programs have different colored tassels for their graduates; for example, white colored tassel is used by arts and science graduates, and doctoral graduates use gold color.

What do you say when you turn the tassel?

Turning the tassel from left to right is a tradition that started in the 1970s. This tradition symbolizes that the student has graduated from one level of learning to another. When you turn the tassel, you can then say that you are officially graduated, and you can now celebrate your achievement with pomp.

What is it called when you move your tassel at graduation?

Moving the tassel from left to right is called ‘turning the tassel,’ and it symbolizes that you have moved from one skill level to another.

What do tassel colors mean?

The color of the tassel depends on the school and program you are graduating from. Most programs use the standard black color for the tassel.

Here are some standard colors of the tassels used by specific programs.