Time to celebrate homecoming week

Homecoming week is almost over. Each year, the town fills with the magical feeling of past traditions, painted storefronts, HOCO deals, theme days and, of course, football.

It’s no secret that small towns relish in these traditions and thrive during a week full of festivities. But this year seemed to be a bit more scarce in participation.

Notably, homecoming week can be traced back to the 1920s when alumni were invited back to their hometowns during that week’s home game to rally behind the team in hopes of a glorious win. The week was celebrated with a pep rally, bonfires, a parade, dress-up days, the big game and, as always, the homecoming dance. It’s a week for the town to show their school spirit and be proud of their school. So why does it seem that the tradition is fading?

Maybe it’s just me.

We dressed to the nines in my house this week. Each day after school we received a reminder text message about what the next day’s theme is and a reminder of the parade this Friday. There is a costume winner each day and it’s a great way for the kids to stay engaged.

As a business owner, I also made sure to advertise what we had to offer during the week and created different reminders. However, I felt we could have been more engaged.

We, the town as a whole, need to keep these traditions alive. We need to encourage students, parents and alumni to participate to their fullest during these weeks and quite literally decorate the town. Instead of letting school staff members keep the traditions present within the community, let’s all encourage students to participate. If you have a downtown storefront to be decorated, reach out to the school. If you have HOCO deals and specials run advertisements and find different ways to let the kids and parents know what you’re offering. Attend the big game and encourage your children to participate in all the activities during the week. It’s a week full of our normal, mundane tasks, but we get to liven it up with a whole slew of different activities. Don’t let that tradition die.