Bid Day is a huge event for the sororities at Michigan. Generally the actives wake up early to decorate the house and the cars that are going to be in the parade. The cars get decorated in crape (sp?)tape, balloon and that crayon you can use on cars, all in org colors. Sometimes you even see signs or letters taped to the car.
The girls have from 9-5pm to pick up their bid cards from the OGL. On the card it tells them a spot to be at (generallY around 7pm) for them to get picked up for the celebration at the house. At this spot the girls get to meet all their pledge sisters with/out actives being there. Spots vary over campus but our centered around the main buildings for everyone to see what's going on.
The caravan begins... The actives set out in the parade of cars from their house to get the girls. The only thing I find annoying is that we honk the horns from the time we leave to the time we return with the new girls. You smile whenever its done because its cute and all in spirit, but it is so annoying. You get the girls, take a longer route getting back to the house so you can parade them round campus (honking and sometimes having ppl throw stuff at you ). You get back to the house, where the actives who didn't go are doing final set ups and they greet the caravan outside singing songs and yelling at the top of their lungs (usually in competition also with the soror house next door or across the street). Then you take a few group pictures with the photographer. Hand out the bid-day shirts and bags and do whatever activties you have arraged. Also either during the early morning or when the girls are being picked up, some actives go the dorms/apts/houses the girls live at and put signs or cuts out on their doors with their names saying welcome to XYZ. We did traffic lights (our colors), DG hangs up anchors, Alpha Phi does bears, Theta does kites, etc. Theyre pretty cute and in some dorms on some floors, every door will have a different one. Actually one hall had about 6 of the same one year.
Fraternities....do you guys call it bid day too??? Whatever you call it, at Michigan its done in the dead or night or early in the am (like from 12am-3am). Some knock or just barg in to the new members room and grab them and get them dressed and start singing and shouting at the top of their lungs and take them to the house. I remember when I lived in the dorm my fresh year my roommate and I were laughing hysterically b/c ATO did their at about 2am and they were doing the shouting and singing outside on the front lawn of the dorm. All you heard were people telling them to shut up and people are trying to sleep from different windows. People can be pretty creative at 2am throwing out taunts. But, you also saw a lot of people watching from their windows too. Annoying, but again, fun to see.