Mad About Hats

Sharon Sullivan is the imaginative milliner behind Dream Hats.  Fascinated by all things hat-like, she can often be found working with her QA specialist, Hobbes

 
Hat Facts:
The Cardinal's Red Hat was introduced by Pope Innocent IV in the 13th Century.
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Happy St Catherine's Day!

Today is St Catherine's Day, the patron saint of milliners. 

Ok, so she was originally the patron saint of unmarried women  (and students, philosophers, potters and lacemakers), but in France in the 19th century, so many young unmarried women earned their living as milliners that St Catherine became the patron saint of the profession. 

In the middle ages, unmarried women would pray to St Catherine for husbands.  Centuries later, it was still customary for unmarried women to pray for husbands, and to honor women who've reached 25 years of age but haven't married -- called "Catherinettes" in France.

Pilgrimage is made to St. Catherine's statue, and she is asked to intercede in finding husbands for the unmarried lest they "don St. Catherine's bonnet" and become spinsters. The Catherinettes are supposed to wear a hat all day long (usually yellow for faith, and green for wisdom), and they are usually feted with a meal among friends. Because of this hat-wearing custom, French milliners have big parades to show off their wares on this day.

 

-taken liberally from www.fisheaters.com, who know more about saints than I ever will!

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