Why do Hasidic men always wear a hat?
Religious male Jews (not just Hasidim) wear a hat to cover the head in respect for God. Covering the head reminds us that there is a Creator, a Higher Power, above our own limited minds. Any head covering will do, but some people like a certain style of hat to identify their group. Others simply have personal preferences about hats. Hasidic hat styles are often based on the styles which were worn in the part of Eastern Europe where the particular group originated, or the style that their Rebbe wore in the Old Country. In some Hasidic groups, everyone wears the exact same style, usually manufactured by one or more hat makers within their group. In other communities, the choice is up to the individual. At Breslov gatherings, for example, one sees a fascinating variety of hats, because Breslov does not have a specific "uniform." At Lubovitcher gatherings, on the other hand, the majority of men wear black fedoras, because that is the type of hat their late Rebbe, Rabbi Scheneerso
