All About Sadie Hawkins Day

Sadie Hawkins Day is a holiday that turns the tables on male/female relationships as women take the lead in pursuing men. Named after a fictional character, Sadie Hawkins Day celebrates role reversal by sanctioning women to ask men out on a date or even propose marriage. Theres a common misconception that February 29th (better known as Leap Day) is Sadie Hawkins Day. Although that isnt the case, February 29th does hold significance for women thanks to an old Irish tradition called St. Bridgets Complaint, which granted women permission to propose marriage on that day. Sadie Hawkins Day is rooted in the story of Sadie Hawkins, a character created by Al Capp in the comic strip Lil Abner. Sadie Described as the homeliest gal in the hills, Sadie was unable ​to  get a date; so her father, a prominent citizen in the town of Dogpatch, named a day after her to help Sadie get a man. On Sadie Hawkins Day, a footrace was held in Dogpatch so the women could pursue the towns eligible bachelors. According to the Lil Abner website, Sadie Hawkins Day is an unspecified date in November which Al Capp observed in his comic strip for four decades.