Whats the origin of the Sadie Hawkins dance?
Dear Straight Dope: Who was Sadie Hawkins, and why did she get a dance named after her? — Michael Witry Sadie Hawkins’ fame is not really from the dance, but from the race. She was a creation of cartoonist Al Capp in his strip Li’l Abner, set in the hillbilly town of Dogpatch, which started in 1934. Sadie first appeared in the daily strips of November 15-30, 1937. After a brief build-up, “What is Sadie Hawkins Day? Why does it inspire such terror in our Hero?” the strip explains: Sadie Hawkins was the daughter of one of the earliest settlers of Dogpatch, Hekzebiah Hawkins. She was the homeliest gal in all them hills. . . . For 15 years, [she] had failed to catch a husband. Her pappy, in desperation, one day called together all the eligible bachelors of Dogpatch.” He declared Sadie Hawkins Day. A starting gun is fired, to give the boys a head start, then a second gun is fired, and, as her father says, when Sadie “starts a-runnin’, th’one she ketches’ll be her husband.” Sadie did catch o
