History of Sadie Hawkins Day: How a Comic Inspired a Dance
Li’l Abner comic. Image: Animation Archive
HISTORY OF SADIE HAWKINS DAY
November 13 traditionally marks the date of Sadie Hawkins Day, when women may ask men out on a date or to a dance.
It is a folk holiday or a pseudo-holiday, similar to May the Fourth (Be With You) or Star Wars Day.
Why have you never heard about it before?
Sadie Hawkins Day: Over 50 Years Ago
Today, I did an informal survey, informing people I met that it was Sadie Hawkins Day and asking them if they had heard of it. I discovered that only “people of a certain age” were familiar with it. That’s because the last time it was in print was 1977, but it began in 1937.
Background of Sadie Hawkins Day
Sadie Hawkins Day Race. Boston Globe, November 6, 1949. Image: Newspapers.com
The name comes from the comic strip Li’l Abner by Al Capp. The storyline was about a hillbilly community where our handsome hero, Li’l Abner – not the sharpest tool in the shed – is determinedly pursued by the lovely and voluptuous Daisy Mae for the stated purpose of matrimony. On Sadie Hawkins Day, a race is held where women may chase a man and, if caught, he must “marry up.”
Sadie Hawkins Dance
During the publication of the Li’l Abner comic, it was quite common for schools and colleges to host Sadie Hawkins Dances. By 1939, according to Life magazine, Sadie Hawkins Dances were held at over 200 colleges.
Several centuries ago, when I was a teenager, I was invited to my high school’s Sadie Hawkins Dance by a girl I barely knew. At the age of 15, I had never been on a date, let alone to a dance. I was terrified.
Sadie Hawkins in Media
Li’l Abner original cast recording. Image: Wikipedia
In addition to the comic strip that ran from 1934-1977, Li’l Abner was also a Broadway musical in 1956.
Li’l Abner film, 1959, Paramount Pictures. Image: IMDB
There were two feature films, one in 1940 and another in 1959. And there were three TV movies, one as recently as 1971.
Are there Sadie Hawkins Day parallels?
Other “near holidays” to Sadie Hawkins Day include”
- Leap Year Day: where women may propose marriage.
- Bachelor’s Day is the same thing, but in Ireland, it is based on the legend of Saint Bridget and Saint Patrick.
- Turnabout Dance: where women invite men to the dance.
Reflection
In today’s world, this may seem hopelessly anachronistic, but for the middle third of the 20th century, this comic-inspired holiday was a cultural phenomenon.
Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com
