Why Do Shriners Wear a Fez?
The fraternity’s distinctive theme comes from founders Billy Florence, an actor, and Walter Fleming, a physician. Fleming and Florence wanted the fledgling fraternity to have a colorful, exciting backdrop and it’s believed that Florence conceived the Arabic theme after a tour of Europe.The red fez with the black tassel is one of the fraternity’s most distinctive symbols. It derives its name from the place where it was first manufactured, the city of Fez, Morocco. The fez was chosen as part of the Shriners’ Arabic theme, which is also the basis for the color and pageantry of the organization’s events.
