Lentorama 2013: There's a Name for That

Day 23: biretta

Another theme week, this time it's all about headgear. Today's topper is a square hat with three or four peaks or horns, often topped with a pom-pom. The color and ornamentation of the biretta changes based on position - cardinals wear a scarlet one with no pom-pom, bishops get one that's amaranth in color but with a purple pom-pom, while lower ranks typically wear black (and may or may not have a pom-pom, and that of a particular color, based on specific titles or positions).

The biretta apparently derives from academic headgear of the middle ages, and is still the appropriate hat for someone earning a doctorate from a pontifical university, in which case the color varies based on the subject of the degree. If nothing else, it's more interesting looking than a mortarboard.