York Rite Blue Lodge Regalia
York Rite Blue Lodges Masonic Regalia
Little known to European Freemasons, the York rite is the most practiced in the the blue lodges of United States, to the point that it is sometimes simply called American rite. The proponents of this Masonic rite readily say that their rite is the oldest in the world, since it dates back to the first assembly of masons held in York in 926, during the reign of King Athelstan. In reality, it is born in the American colonies. The first American lodges, which appear from 1730, have Several origins: if some were founded by the Grand Provincial Lodges established by the Grand Lodge of London (the Moderns), most of them (of spontaneous creation, founded by military lodges attached to the Grand Lodge of Ireland, or by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, or by the Grand Lodge of the Ancients of 1758) are traditional Ancient. During the American Revolution, the Moderns rather took the party of England, while the Ancients rather joined the insurgents. After the independence of 1776, many Modern Freemasons returned to England and the various major Modern provincial lodges ended up merging with their Ancient counterparts. The York Rite then imposed himself as the only rite Practiced by the major lodges of the States forming the Union. This Rite therefore belongs to the family of Ancient rites, as the Emulation Working, the Royal Standard of Scotland and the blue lodge degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite.
The blue lodge masonic regalia of the York rite are:
Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft : masonic white gloves and a masonic white apron.
Master Mason: masonic white gloves and a masonic white apron with a blue border. On the flap is an Eye and on the apron itself a square and a compass, sometimes surrounded by a laurel wrath. The sash is blue, adorned with square and compass.
Lodge Officers and Worshipful Master : a masonic blue collar, carrying the collar jewel corresponding to the function. The Worshipful Master apron is adorned by 2 Taus.