As you don your cap and gown this graduation day you may wonder what an unflattering polyester muumuu, square cardboard head gear, and long speeches have to do with academia. As it turns out, they may have more to do with America's traditional British roots than anything else.

Baccalaureate: The ceremony probably dates back to 1432 when Oxford University passed a statute requiring all bachelors to deliver a speech in Latin.

Diploma: The concept of receiving a degree for completing an established curriculum originated in Islamic culture. The earliest degrees were written on sheepskin, a tradition that continued until about 100 years ago.

Gown: Both the traditional cap and the traditional gown date back to England around the 12th century and have both religious and academic significance. It is thought that when universities were spreading across Europe most did not have their own buildings and instead held classes in local churches. Gowns were the traditional garb for clerics and because most students and teachers were also clerics, the gown was adopted as appropriate dress for scholars as well.

Cap: Theories regarding the origins of the cap are more speculative. Some believe that the square shape of the cap is supposed to symbolize a book, while others believe that it symbolizes a mortar board.

Tassel: The tassel is to be worn on the right before receiving a diploma. Once the diploma is received, or before the graduate steps off the stage, the tassel is to be switched to the left side. This is meant to signify progression from one stage of life to the next.