I saw something on Facebook and asked AI if it was true.
Yes. It sounds like an urban legend, but New York really did have the “Straw Hat Riots” of 1922. [en.wikipedia.org], [britannica.com]
At the time, there was an unwritten fashion rule that men should stop wearing straw hats after September 15, known as “Felt Hat Day.” Wearing a straw hat after that date could get you mocked, and a tradition developed of knocking straw hats off people’s heads and stomping on them. [en.wikipedia.org], [nypl.org]
In September 1922, groups of youths in New York started enforcing the “rule” a couple of days early. What began as hat-snatching turned into street fights when some men fought back. The disturbances spread through parts of Manhattan and lasted about eight days, resulting in arrests and injuries. [en.wikipedia.org], [britannica.com]
Some reports described gangs carrying sticks and roaming the streets targeting people still wearing straw hats. Police had to intervene multiple times. [nypl.org], [britannica.com]
It’s one of those bizarre true stories from history: a city-wide disturbance sparked not by politics, sports, or economics, but by an argument over when summer hats should be put away.