The badge of a mason

In the twenty-first century Freemasons still wear aprons in their lodges and at public events in their communities. Aprons identify men as Masons and inspire pride in members. Donning an apron in preparation for entering a lodge room also reminds the wearer that he is going into a space where particular traditions and ideals are taught, explored and honored.

The Badge of a Mason

Aprons also embody ideas important in Freemasonry. The white leather, silk or other textile that they are constructed of represents innocence and purity. When a man becomes a Master Mason, or full member, of the fraternity, he receives a white apron that symbolizes these virtues and is also intended to accompany him to the grave. As one authority wrote of aprons, in an organization dense with symbols, “There is no one of the symbols of Speculative Masonry more important in its teachings…than the lambskin, or white leather apron.”