Homecoming


Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada.

United States

Homecoming is an annual tradition in the North United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former members of the community. It is built around a central event, such as a banquet or dance and, most often, a game of American football, or on occasions, basketball, ice hockey or soccer. When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game played on a school's home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school's choir, marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a homecoming queen. A dance commonly follows the game or takes place the day after the game.
When attached to a football game, homecoming traditionally occurs on the team's return from the longest road trip of the season or the first home game of a season that falls after an away game. The game itself, whether it be football or another sport, will typically feature the home team playing a considerably weaker opponent. The game is supposed to be an "easy win" and thus weaker schools will sometimes play lower-division schools.

Origins

The tradition of homecoming has its origin in alumni football games held at colleges and universities since the 19th century. Many schools including Baylor, Illinois, Missouri and Southwestern have claimed that they began homecoming. It appears to be the first homecoming event which included both a parade and an intercollegiate football game; such was the response and success that it became an annual event.
In 1891, the Missouri Tigers first faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first installment of the Border War, the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. The intense rivalry originally took place at neutral sites, usually in Kansas City, Missouri, until a new conference regulation was announced that required intercollegiate football games to be played on collegiate campuses. To renew excitement in the rivalry, ensure adequate attendance at the new location, and celebrate the first meeting of the two teams on the Mizzou campus in Columbia, Missouri, Mizzou Athletic Director Chester Brewer invited all alumni to "come home" for the game in 1911. Along with the football game, the celebration included a parade and spirit rally with a bonfire. The event was a success, with nearly 10,000 alumni coming home to take part in the celebration and watch the Tigers and Jayhawks play to a 3–3 tie.
Both the Illinois and Missouri annual homecoming celebrations, with their parade and spirit-rally centered on a large football game, are the models that took hold at colleges and high schools across the United States.
At least two colleges claim homecoming intercollegiate football games before the University of Missouri 1911 football game homecoming event: Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, and the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
Baylor's homecoming history dates back to November 1909 and included a parade, reunion parties, and an afternoon football game, a tradition that continued and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. There was a gap between 1910 and 1915 when there was no homecoming event; however there has been continuity since 1915.
In 1910, University of Illinois held a weeklong homecoming celebration that concluded with an intercollegiate football game. This tradition has continued every year since then, making it the longest continuous Homecoming celebration in the nation, though, in 1918, because of the influenza pandemic, only the football game took place.
Although it did not initially include an intercollegiate football game, Northern Illinois University has one of the longest-celebrated homecoming traditions in the country. The alumni football game played on October 10, 1903, began NIU's homecoming tradition.
Although it did not include an intercollegiate football game, Southwestern held its first Homecoming on Wednesday, April 21, 1909, in San Gabriel Park. Former students raised funds, provided housing, prepared and served a barbecue supper, and decorated the town buildings. Members of the senior class waited tables.

Traditions

Homecoming court

The backings court is a representative group of students that, in a coeducational institution, consists of a king and queen, and possibly prince and princess. In 1952, Bates College seniors played a central role in organizing homecoming events, including Friday night assemblies, athletic events, and homecoming dances. These student-led traditions symbolize senior leadership roles and are often associated with homecoming courts at universities in the mid-20th century. In a single-sex institution, the homecoming court will usually consist of only a king and a prince or a queen and a princess, although some schools may choose to join with single-sex schools of the other sex to elect the homecoming court jointly.
Generally, the king and queen are students completing their final years of study at their school, while the prince and princess are underclassmen often with a prince/princess for each grade. Recently, some high schools have chosen to add categories, such as Duke and Duchess, to extend the representation of students to include a category in which students with special needs are elected. In high school, 17- or 18-year-old students in their final year are represented by a king or queen; in college, students who are completing their final year of study, usually between 21–23 years old.
Local rules determine when the homecoming king and queen are crowned. Sometimes, the big announcement comes at a pep rally, school assembly, or public ceremony one or more days before the football game. Other schools crown their royalty at the homecoming football game, a dance, or other school events.
Often, the previous year's king and queen are invited back to crown their successors. If they are absent for whatever reason, someone else—usually, another previous king or queen, a popular teacher, or a royal representative—will perform those duties. Usually, the queen is crowned first, followed by the king. The crowning method also varies by school, however, the crown is typically preserved and passed down to each successor.
Homecoming court members who are not crowned king or queen are often called escorts or royalty. They are often expected to participate in the week's activities as well. At some schools, a homecoming prince/princess, duke/duchess, etc. are crowned along with the king and queen; sometimes, middle school and junior high students may partake in the high school activities.

Parade

Many homecoming celebrations include a parade. Students often select the grand marshal based on a history of service and support to the school and community. The parade includes the school's marching band and different school organizations’ floats created by the classes and organizations and most of the sports get a chance to be in the parade. Every class prepares a float which corresponds with the homecoming theme or related theme of school spirit as assigned by school administrators. In addition, the homecoming court takes part in the parade, often riding together in one or more convertibles as part of the parade. Michigan State University's homecoming parade, with its cheerleaders, marching bands, vehicles decorated for local politicians and corporate sponsors, and participants in student clubs and organizations, speaks well of the school's spirit and community identity. Homecoming courts also often participate in parades, which they do by travelling in open wagons or on foot. Community civic organizations and businesses, area fire departments, and alumni groups often participate as well. The parade is often part of a series of activities scheduled for that specific day, which can also include a pep rally, bonfire, snake dance, and other activities for students and alumni.

Tailgate

At most major colleges and universities, the football game and preceding tailgate party are the most widely recognized and heavily attended events of the week. Alumni gather from all around the world to return to their alma mater, reconnect with one another, and take part in the festivities. Students, alumni, businesses, and members of the community set up tents in parking lots, fields, and streets near the stadium to cook food, play games, socialize, binge drink, and even enjoy live music in many instances. These celebrations often last straight through the game for those who do not have tickets but still come to take part in the socializing and excitement of the homecoming atmosphere. Most tents even include television or radio feeds of the game for those without tickets.

Picnic

Sometimes during the school week, a picnic can occur. The picnic is very similar to the tailgate party, but it occurs after school or during the school's lunch period.

Dress-up days

Throughout the week, many schools engage in special dress-up days, sometimes called "Spirit Week", where students are allowed to wear clothing suitable to the theme leading to the homecoming. Students traditionally wear clothing with their school's name, or clothing and makeup of their school's colors on Friday.

Pep rallies

Many schools hold a rally during homecoming week, often one or more nights before the game. The events vary, but may include skits, games, introduction of the homecoming court, and comments from the football players or coach about the upcoming game.
At some schools, the homecoming rally ends with a bonfire. Many colleges and high schools no longer hold bonfires because of accidents that have occurred surrounding these events in the past. The most well known accident took place in 1999, when 12 students were killed and 27 others were injured at Texas A&M University when a pile of logs that had been assembled for a bonfire collapsed. However, this incident was not associated with homecoming—A&M is one of the few schools that do not organize a homecoming, although it has many unique traditions. The bonfire was associated with the annual rivalry game between A&M and the University of Texas.