Hats used to be protection. Either actual protection in old times (helmets) or protection of your identity as some can cover you. In old times, at least in Eu

Hats used to be protection. Either actual protection in old times (helmets) or protection of your identity as some can cover you. In old times, at least in Europe, discovering yourself was therefore a sign of respect, as it meant voluntarily leaving your guard down in front of someone. In some Royal courts, that is actually how the king made you a noble, by just saying "you may cover yourself" - only the highest of social ranks was allowed to keep their hat on in front of royalty. Here in Spain we learn about it because those tropes appear a lot in classic theatre: a person choosing to remain covered in a church is seen as blasfemy, not discovering your cape and hat while passing near a stranger at night is a sign that you are a criminal, etc.