A party hat is any of a number of celebratory hats, most typically in the form of a
conical hat made with a piece of thin
paperboard, usually with designs printed on the outside and a long string of elastic acting like a chinstrap, going from one side of the cone's bottom to another to secure the cone to the person's
head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
. Party hats are worn most often at
birthday parties, especially by the guest of honor or at
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
celebrations. In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
the hat is made of
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
and is in the shape of a
crown, and is most typically worn during a
Christmas dinner. The hat is generally received from a
Christmas cracker cracked with someone near oneself at the dinner table. The party hat has its origins in the
dunce cap or
sanbenito worn by misbehaving or poorly performing schoolchildren from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, with its festive decoration and society's positive attitude toward the wearer indicating a relaxation, or even reversal, of certain
social norm
A social norm is a shared standard of acceptance, acceptable behavior by a group. Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into wikt:rule, rules and laws. Social norma ...
s.
Non-conical hats worn to signify an occasion's informal and festive status include decorated
top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally made of black silk or ...
s, hats made from
balloon
A balloon is a flexible membrane bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. For special purposes, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), ...
s, and
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
ears. The
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
hat or "beer helmet", patented by Steve Nelson in 1985, is another form of party hat in which cans of beer are attached to a rigid hat with a straw leading from the cans to the wearer.
Image gallery
File:NewYearsParty.JPG, Young man wears a party top hat at a New Year's Party.
File:Balloonhat.JPG, A party hat made with balloons.
File:Two young men wearing party hats.jpg, Two people wear party hats at a birthday party.
Win, Wendy and Newley (cropped).jpg, Person wearing beer helmet.
See also
*
Pointed hat
*
List of hat styles
Hats have been common throughout the history of humanity, present on some of the very earliest preserved human bodies and art. Below is a list of various kinds of contemporary or traditional hat.
List
See also
*List of headgear
References
...
*
List of headgear
Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, decoration, or for religious or cultural reasons, including social conventions. This is a list of headgear, both modern and historical.
Hats
File:Akubra-style hat.j ...
References
*
External links
Child Party Hat kid craft central.com
Strap on Birthday Hats and Celebrate birthday blueprints.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Party Hat
Pointed hats
Hat
A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
Birthday culture
Paperboard