Sadie Hawkins Day

Sadie Hawkins Day is an American folk tradition that made its debut in Al Capp's Li'l Abner comic strip on November 15, 1937. In the comic strip, Dogpatch resident Hekzebiah Hawkins held a foot race for his daughter, Sadie Hawkins. Eligible bachelors in the town were sent running, with the single women in hot pursuit. When a man was caught, the single women got to "keep" him. After the strip first ran, the idea of women asking men out on "Sadie Hawkins Day" began.lil-abner.com: Sadie Hawkins

After Sadie Hawkins made her infamous appearance in Capp's popular comic strip, the idea of women taking the initiative and asking men out began to catch on. The first Sadie Hawkins Day was observed in November 1938. On Sadie Hawkins Day, women would ask men out on dates, frequently to so-called Sadie Hawkins Day dances, or even propose marriage.The Old Farmer's Almanac: Red Letter Days: November 13—Sadie Hawkins Day

"It's become my responsibility [to include Sadie Hawkins Day every year in the strip.] It doesn't happen on any set day in November; it happens on the day I say it happens. I get tens of thousands of letters from colleges, communities, and church groups, starting around July, asking me what day, so they can make plans."The Straight Dope: What's the origin of the Sadie Hawkins dance? (August 28, 2000)