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November 15, 1937 Al
Capp, creator of the Lil' Abner cartoon strip invented Sadie Hawkins Day.
What he did not realize when he did this, is that he (In my opinion) helped
create a step forward in the Women's Liberation Movement. The idea of it
being OK for a girl to chase a guy or ask a guy out to a dance, suddenly became
appealing to both sexes. Women now had an opportunity to confront that shy
guy they liked. :)
On November 9,
1938 the very first recorded high school "Sadie Hawkins Dance" was
held.. Al Capp originally had no intention of giving this event a specific
date. But the public loved it so much, that quickly Sadie Hawkins Day
Dances began popping up in schools and colleges across the United States
and turning it into an annual November event. The actual date of the dance
varied upon the school's schedule. But it is most commonly accepted that
Sadie Hawkins Day is celebrated the first Saturday in November either on the 9th
or after. Note: On my monthly November holiday
listings, this isn't true. It seems to be always
listed in the Chase's Calendar of Events as the first Saturday in November,
regardless of the 9th rule. So, that's how I list it. A bit confusing I know.
:(
Because it was so popular, Al Capp himself included a Sadie
Hawkins storyline in his strip every November for over 40 years.
The irony is that Al
Capp became the creator of a very popular American dance for schools across this
country and yet he himself was an amputee. He lost his leg at the age of 9
yrs. old in a trolley accident. Drawing was a form of therapy that his
father encouraged him to do.
I've read several
articles and I can't find any information that Al Capp ever married? Then
I received an email (from Gwillim
Law) telling me that he married
Catherine Wingate Cameron in either 1932 or 1933. They had two daughters,
Julie and Cathy. Anyone knows anything else, feel free to write me.
I'd
like to add, that Sadie Hawkins Day is not Leap Year Day! See
my page on The History of Leap Year!
Sadie Hawkins Day is November 15th. Leap Year Day is February
29. Although the theme is somewhat the same, "asking a guy to
dance" vs. "asking a guy to marry you", they are not the same
observances.
For more in depth information check out the links below:
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