March Hatter

March Hatter is the slash ship between the March Hare and the Mad Hatter from the Alice in Wonderland fandom.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Hatter and the March Hare are both first mentioned one chapter before appearing. It is established that the Cheshire Cat is familiar with both of them, as he knows where they live. He also tells Alice that they are both mad, but quickly invalidates that information by saying that everyone in Wonderland is mad.

Alice would see them both having tea after deciding to go to the March Hare, only to find out that it didn’t matter which one she decided to visit: They are always together. Along with them on the table was the Dormouse, but it is fast asleep and is being used by them as a cushion and a rest for their elbows. The moment they saw Alice, they immediately yelled that there was no room at the table, even though there was plenty of room as they were all crowded together on one end of it.

When Alice sat down anyway, the Hatter and the March Hare both starting being rude to her, each in their own way. As Alice stands her ground, the Hatter asks her his riddle of “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”, which excites Alice. The March Hare reacts to that by asking her if she truly thinks she can answer his friend’s riddle. As the March Hare cites her for “not saying what she means”, the Hatter sides with him, telling her that her “meaning what she says” is not the same thing. After asking Alice what day of the month it is (with her telling him it’s the Fourth of May), the Hatter gets angry at the March Hare for being two days wrong and getting crumbs into his butter.

In response, the March Hare grabs the Hatter’s watch and dips it in his tea, retorting it was the best butter. After the Hatter asks Alice if she had guessed his riddle yet, she, the March Hare and even the Hatter himself admit that they don’t have the slightest idea what it means.

As the Hatter explains the rules of Time, the character, to Alice, giving the idea of time flying as an example, the March Hare listens and silently admits that he only wished it would be that way for him. As the Hatter explains that Time isn’t kind to either him or the March Hare, he briefly implies that the March Hare got his name because the Hatter and Hare both went mad because they offended Time in March at the concert of the Queen of Hearts. As the Queen of Hearts accused them of murdering Time, the Hatter explained that this is why it’s always six o’clock for them, Time stopped time for them at tea time. Alice guesses that’s why they always sit at a long table drinking tea, they don’t have the time to do the dishes in between, so they always reuse the next best cup, sitting down like playing a game of musical chairs. When Alice asks what they do when they start over again, the March Hare quickly changes the subject, urging her to tell a story.

Alice refuses, admitting she doesn’t know one, but then both the Hatter and the Hare say that the Dormouse should do it instead. Alice is continuously confused at the lack of logic in the mouse’s story, but the Hatter and Hare shush her and ask her rhetorical questions every time she speaks up. When Alice gets fed up with the rude atmosphere of the tea party, she leaves them be. However, hoping either of the guests would call after her, but they didn’t even notice she left. The last time she checked on the two of them, they were in the process of stuffing the sleeping Dormouse in the teapot.

The Hatter and Hare briefly appear again in the court of the Queen of Hearts, being tasked as witnesses for who stole her tarts. When the Hatter mentions what the March Hare said to him, the Hare speaks up and denies everything.

Fanon
The bulk of the shipping comes from Disney Channel's live-action series Adventures in Wonderland. Fans love top interpret their relationship as gay, which is helped by both of them being played by openly gay actors.

Most other adaptations don't support it, though scholars interpreting their close yet tension-filled relationship as romantic isn't uncommon.

Fandom
FAN FICTION