Why Do Men Remove Their Hats at the Dinner Table?
Men have been taking their hats off before sitting down to the table for many years. It is a practice that is almost expected out of men, or women, today. In some fine dining establishments, you may be asked to leave if you refuse to remove your hat inside the restaurant, much less at the table. Although some of today's youth refuse to show proper table etiquette, most males instinctively know to remove their hat before they sit down to eat in any kind of formal setting. Does this Spark an idea?
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Show of respect
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The practice of taking off your hat at the dinner table is a show of respect. Whether it is out of respect for the person who cooked the meal or who the table belongs to, removing your cap is recognized in modern American culture as a show of respect. Parents begin teaching children to remove their hats at an early age With the rise in popularity of baseball caps in recent years, many more children are learning to remove their hats at the table.
Dirty hats
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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cities were dirty from all of the industries that burned coal for power. Men wore hats to keep the coal-burning debris out of their hair and off of their faces. When men sat down at the table, they removed their hats because they did not want to spill any dirt or soot on the table or in the food.
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Sign of peace
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In the old west, a man removing his hat at the table meant that he had no quarrels with anyone and came in peace. Removing the hat to show his face meant that he was trying to show that he respected the people around him and meant no harm. In those rough and tough times, removing your hat at the table hardly ever went unnoticed would help you gain the respect of the people around you.
The presence of a lady
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Some men are taught to remove their hat at the table, but only in the presence of a woman. Men take off their hats to show that they are a gentleman and would like to be thought of as one. This act let the woman know that you genuinely care about her opinion of you.
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References
- Photo Credit cowboy hat image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
