|
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:
|
