Written by Tri Delta Historian, Beth Dees Applebaum, Texas Christian
Each year, Tri Delta’s graduating members are honored at Pansy Celebrations across North America, marking the transition from college life to the world beyond. This beautiful tradition honors graduating Tri Deltas and celebrates their accomplishments. It is also often where members complete Circle Degree, the third degree of Initiation, and shows new alumnae Tri Delta can continue to be part of their lives long after graduation.
Pansy Tradition
The tradition of honoring graduating members of a collegiate chapter is nearly as old as the Fraternity itself. One of the earliest mentions of the custom goes back to 1908, when the December 1908 Triton suggested a “pansy luncheon” for spring. The article goes on to say, “Practically every chapter gives a farewell of some kind for the seniors. What more appropriate than pansies for thoughts of them?” Theta Xi Chapter at the University of Southern California hosted the first Pansy Breakfast in 1927, and the following year started the tradition of creating a large ring covered with thousands of live pansies for all engaged graduating members in the university to step through. This unique Pansy Breakfast tradition gained national attention in 1945, when Life Magazine attended the celebration and published a photo essay on the event in its July 23 edition.
The Life article chronicled the tremendous amount of work involved in hosting the event—gathering thousands of fresh pansies from all over Los Angeles and keeping the flowers fresh in water-filled buckets, sinks and even bathtubs; the dinner party where Tri Delta members would tie thousands of pansies to toothpicks for assembly onto the giant ring; and, finally, the organization of the breakfast, usually held in the garden of the Tri Delta house. Along with the Pansy Ring Ceremony, the breakfast would highlight senior accomplishments and awards. There would often be a fashion show featuring wedding gowns and trousseau items. The idea then began to spread to other chapters and became so popular that a 1952 issue of The Trident featured an article on “How to Give a Pansy Breakfast,” highlighting chapters at Beloit, DePauw, Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Tennessee and their celebrations.
The Tradition Today
The tradition lives on today under many names—Pansy Celebration, Pansy Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dessert—shaped by whatever the chapter has planned. At its heart, it remains a celebration of graduating members and all they’ve accomplished, including academic awards, career beginnings, graduate school journeys and even engagement announcements. For many chapters, the event also marks a meaningful milestone: the conferral of Circle Degree and an official welcome into alumnae membership. This long-standing tradition of Pansy Celebrations gives our alumnae chapters the opportunity to show graduating members that the bonds of Tri Delta extend beyond their college years and that collegiate and alumnae chapters can nurture and strengthen the ties that bind them.
