Christmas time inspires all sorts of festivities and traditions that often involve Santa Claus. A character rooted in Dutch tradition, the Americanized version of Santa is most notable by the red suit, white beard and Santa hat. Santa hats are popular Christmas retail items, especially since many people don them at holiday parties and gatherings throughout the season. This particular piece of headgear has even evolved to include various patterns, pop culture references, and sports logo emblems.
Whether you opt for the traditional red Santa hat or one that represents a different heritage or culture, the type of hat you choose will likely be based on the desired occasions for wearing it. For those who dressing up as Santa at a party, family gathering, or other event, a professional Santa suit typically comes with a quality hat as well. Price ranges and construction style may vary greatly, but to be convincing, make sure the hat fits well and matches the suit.
Those with an interest in a Santa hat merely for the purpose of being festive have a wide variety to choose from. Santa hats come in an array of colors aside from the traditional red, including blue, green, white, and varying shades of red. The material may include cheaper fabrics like felt or more luxurious fabrics like velvet or fur. If purchasing a quality Santa hat, check for tight stitching at the seams to ensure maximum wear.
On the other hand, if you’re searching for a Santa hat that represents you rather than Santa, there are an equally wide variety of hats to choose from. These are known as novelty Santa hats and may be emblazoned with the logo from NFL, NBA, MLB, or college teams or accessorized with lights or jingle bells. Novelty hats also include different shapes from the traditional pointed Santa hat and may even be constructed of wire to look like a Christmas tree, candy cane, or other holiday symbol. The type of hat you choose is really unique to your personality and purpose for having one.
If you are looking for more traditional Santa hats or costumes, check with local costume retailers or online stores. While almost every retailer of holiday decorations will have a limited selection of Santa hats available, stores that specialize in costumes will have more variety. Temporary costume retailers that pop up during the Halloween season may also have Santa hats in stock. Traditional Santa hats and some novelty ones are fairly easy to locate, but more unique ones may need to be tracked down through online retailers.