Tweed Day

Tweed Day has been celebrated on April 3 every year. The reason for the celebration is rather obscure as there are two reasons to observe the date. Few would think that this day is celebrated in recognition of William Magear Tweed, an American politician who played an important role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State with political corruption of about $200 million, who was later sent to prison to die. It is said to be observed because Boss Tweed's birthday falls on April 3. Few others think that this day celebrates tweed. Tweed is a coarse woolen fabric, which is the symbol of the traditional dress of Ireland and England. It is used for both formal suits and casual wear as it is made to withstand harsh climates. The usual Scottish tweed is called Lovat.

Why Tweed Day?

National Tweed Day is celebrated for two different reasons: one on behalf of Tweed, a woolen cloth and another in recognition of the leadership of a politician “William tweed”. Since his birth date falls on 3 April. However, it is widely celebrated for Scottish tweed and not William Tweed

Either way, we'll enjoy the day, whatever the case may be.

Tweed is a wool fabric. It has soft, flexible features. The color in Tweed can be obtained in the relevant color dye mixture prior to spinning. Tweed was created to cope with extreme climatic conditions

William Mage0ar Tweed, better known by his nickname "BOSS" is one of the most famous and prestigious politicians known for corruption charges.

History of Tweed Day

Tweed (Fabric):

Tweeds come in different types:

Harris Tweed is made from pure wool and is the only hand-woven tweed in the world made for commercial use. For centuries, Donegal Tweed has been produced in County Donegal, Ireland and plants such as blackberry, white, moss and fuchsia have been the main source of the dye. Silk thread is produced using raw silk and wool fabrics are added for consistent decoration.

In the past, tweed was worn by people of the upper class. In modern times, especially coats made from Tweeds are popular even among middle-class families. A dress made from Tweed is a great choice due to its durability.

Tweed fabric is used to wrap some musical instruments to protect against internal damage.

Tweed (Boss):

William Magear Tweed was born on April 3, he dropped out of school at the age of 11 and became an apprentice. He then started his family business in 1852. He married Mary Jane C.Skaden and joined the Fire Company in 1844 and 1848 respectively. In 1848 he founded a company named "Americus Fire Company" with his friends. He became famous for his violence, which is very common in the Fire companies due to the fierce competition. Furthermore, fire companies are considered as recruitment agencies for Political parties. So that eventually led to Tweed becoming a notorious Politician.

William Tweed was arrested by police for mishandling public money and sentenced to prison at the place where he died in 1878 of Pneumonia. He was convicted of stealing $45 million, approximately, from New York taxpayers. However, it was later re-estimated at around $200 million.

Interesting truths about Tweed Day

Tweed (Fabric):

The fabric's original name wasn't tweed, it was actually its Tweel. It was reported to get this name because of some misinterpretations. In 1831, there was a misunderstanding of the handwriting of a London merchant in a letter he received from Dangerfield's Mills run by Wm. Watson and the sons of the town of Hawrick. He mispronounced the word as Tweed and then thought the name was a commercial name inspired by River Tweed. So this fabric was named "tweed".

Tweed (Boss):

After his conviction, he escaped from prison once, fled to Spain, and worked as a seafarer on a ship. The United States government investigated his whereabouts and was placed under house arrest in 1876. Then in 1878 he died of acute pneumonia and was the flagship at Tammany Hall, where he was at his peak during his tenure has not been flying.

How to celebrate Tweed Day

You can spend Tweed Day reading about the history of Boss Tweed or learning about Scottish tweed. A tweed suit is a very traditional formal wear, often worn by confident, mature people. Boss Tweed is an inspiration to many politicians and political activists, so this is a good day to read about him. You can use hashtags #NationalTweedDay or #TweedDay to share your thoughts on social media about Tweed Day.