Easter Parade in New York City's Fifth Avenue, circa 1890. (AP Photo/Keystone)
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
General Prince Adekunle & Pa S. B. Oshoffa (1980): Music Meets Faith This 1980 Daily Times photograph captures a meaningful… Read More
Conference of Obas, Itoro Hall, Ijebu-Ode (1941): Tradition Meets Colonial Authority This historic photograph from 1941 captures a remarkable gathering… Read More
Nigeria’s Second Republic Governors (1979): Who Is Still Alive Today? The 1979 elections marked the beginning of Nigeria’s Second Republic,… Read More
Benjamin Adekunle, the Butcher who vowed to Kill all Igbos Benjamin Adekunle was born in Kaduna, Nigeria, on June 26,… Read More
THE FALL OF A BILLIONAIRE FROM IJEBU The story of Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu, the man who started ST Soap from… Read More
Who is Scared of Hon. Ibrahim Kunle Olarewaju? Recent desperate attacks against Hon. Ibrahim Kunle Olarewaju have revealed a deep-seated… Read More
This website uses cookies.