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The Mad Tea Party by Milo Winter (1888-1956)
Mad Hatter Day
Oct 6
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
~ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 1865
Channel your inner or outer crazy today for Mad Hatter Day, traditionally celebrated on 10/6, all thanks to the quirky label tucked into the Mad Hatter's famous hat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Hatter's label reads, "In this style 10/6," which was the price of the hat: ten shillings and sixpence! But there's a reason hatters were known for being a bit “mad.” Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, hat makers used mercury nitrate in the felting process to shape and stiffen their creations. Unfortunately, all that exposure to mercury led to some wild side effects like tremors, mood swings, and even hallucinations! This condition was called "mad hatter disease," giving rise to the saying "mad as a hatter"! This lively easy to learn jig includes advances and a Do Si Do with your corner mad tea party enthusiasts. Wear your most outlandish hat and don't skip on the tartan and paisley for your post dance cup of tea! ❤️ 💚 💜 💙 💛 🎩 🐇 ♠️ ♥️ ♦️ ♣️ 🎉 ☕
The Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter Day, October 6th, gets its designated date from the price tag "10/6" (translating to October 6th in the month/day format) on the illustrations of the Hatter's hat from Lewis Carroll's fantasy story, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Hatter wears a large top hat with a hatband reading "In this style 10/6". This is the hat's price tag, indicative of his trade, in pre-decimal British money as ten shillings and six pence (or half a guinea).
The Hatter character, alongside all the other fictional beings, first appears in Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the story, the Hatter explains to Alice that he and the March Hare are continually stuck at tea time because when he tried to sing for the Queen of Hearts, the foul-tempered monarch sentenced him to death for "murdering the time." Although he escapes decapitation, "time" in a show of solidarity (and referred to as a "he" in the novel) halts himself out of respect to the Hatter, keeping him and the March Hare stuck at 6:00 pm, tea time, forever.
It has often been claimed that the Hatter's character may have been inspired by Theophilus Carter, an eccentric furniture dealer and a one time a servitor at Christ Church College, at Oxford. He was nicknamed the "Mad Hatter" from his habit of standing in the door of his shop wearing a top hat.
The expression, "mad as a hatter," a term which predates Carroll's stories, lives on in the terms "Mad hatter disease," or "mad hatter syndrome," which describe occupational chronic mercury poisoning common amongst hat makers whose felting work involved prolonged exposure to mercury vapors. The characteristic neurotoxic effects included tremor, pathological shyness, and irritability.
For a recipe worthy of a mad person, try a "Mad Hatter" cocktail with equal parts potion of vodka, peach schnapps, lemonade, and coca-cola.
Or try an Alice-approved 'Drink Me' potion with almost all the named ingredients from the story by clicking the picture of the Hatter at his perpetual tea by John Tenniel:
"…so Alice ventured to taste it, and, finding it very nice (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavor of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffy, and hot buttered toast), she very soon finished it off.”
~Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
