Breaking down the walls of gender norms, the Sadie Hawkins dance is a cherished tradition nationwide. The idea of the Sadie Hawkins dance is that instead of the typical guy asking the girl to be their date to a dance, the girls ask the guys! Wakeland high school students will be able to attend this dance thrown by the student council on March 24th at six pm. Now, who exactly is this Sadie, and why does she have a dance? 

Sadie Hawkins is a character in a comic strip from 1937, whose father, Hekzebiah, was the wealthiest and most powerful man in their town. At 35 years old, Sadies father worried she would never have a husband because she was so ugly, and worried that she would turn into “an old maid” by not marrying a man. To prevent this, Hekzebiah decided to intervene in her seemingly empty love life. Hekzebiah gathered all eligible males in town on November 15 and ordered his daughter to chase after those men and whichever man was caught first…was bound to marry her. Hekzebiah named the day “Sadie Hawkins Day” and this story is the catalyst for the dance that is now held in thousands of high schools in America.

While some say the story is controversial nowadays, to say the least, looking back on the year it was made, it’s understandable how this comic strip was recreated and republished for 40 years by its publisher Al Capp and gained a whole day dedicated to it. 

Nevertheless, the Sadie Hawkins dance is a great way to show female empowerment and offers a fun time for everyone who attends with dancing, music, and more!