Bid day in the South

[AOX81]

I was staying at my aunt and uncle's house in Alabama about 10 years ago and I remember seeing big huge bows/ribbons on different mailboxes. I asked my aunt what they were for and she said those were for girls on their bid day. I was just wondering if this was still done and who does it? I think that it is a very cool idea.

Have a nice day

[ladybug1116]

I am from Auburn, Alabama and most girls in my neighborhood joined a sorority, but I don't recall ever seeing bows in related colors. Where in Alabama did you see the bows?

[AchtungBaby80]

Granted, I'm not from the *deep South* (although Kentucky isn't exactly Yankee territory, either), but I've never seen or heard of anything like you're talking about. It's a great idea, though--I'll have to suggest it to our rush committee for next fall! Usually on Bid Day, we just go around and hang "door decks"--ours are shaped like huge turtles and we decorate them with glitter and the pledge's name--next to the dorm room of each girl. But the girls who live off-campus don't get one...so I think the ribbons-on-the-mailbox idea is pretty cool.

[AOX81]

They lived in Mountain Brook which I believe is near Birmingham... it's been a long time.

[ZTAMich]

maybe it's a way to show off which sorority their daughter has joined? if a passer by knew the colors they would know which org also. kinda like when people rent a giant stork to announce a new birth...i'm not from the south and don't live in a very college area when I am home so it's just a guess..

[G8Ralphaxi]

I'm at UF - and while Gainesville, FL isn't quite as Southern as you lovely ladies in Alabama, etc. we do pick up some of the aspects of the big Southern rushes.

All the sororities make "door decs" here too - we sneak in their dorms or go to their apts. late at night after they've all gone home after all the bid day activities. Then when they wake up the next morning, they have a surprise. Some of the houses make their mascots out of big pieces of colored poster board, others make wooden door hangers.

Also, every new member gets a shirt on bid day and they all wear them on the first day of class. The fraternities have their new guys wear shirts too. So the campus looks like it's just totally invaded by Greeks! So fun.

[ZTAngel]

We also get dorm decorations here at UCF. I remember waking up for class right after Bid Day and walking out of my dorm to see a five-pointed crown on my door. It was so cute! All the sororities give their new members shirts on bid day so that they can show off their brand new letters on the first day of school.

[Lisa Fishman]

AOX81- I live in Birmingham, AL in the Mountian Brook area. I have never seen bows on the mailboxes. Also, those girls might be in high school sororities. I have lived in Alabama almost my whole life, and I have never heard of bows on mailboxes. This is'nt to say it is not done. I haven't seen it personally.
When I was away at college though, the sororities put up door decorations for our dorm room door.

[AlphaChiGirl]

Ribbons...those really don't surprise me. I know my HS sororities didn't make that huge of a deal in going to people's houses...do you think it was just an individual thing? I know if my little girl (who has yet to be born or even conceived) becomes an AXO, I will probably do something of the sort.

We even do door decs (and we're not a traditional chapter in any stretch of the imagination)...we do the whole door in AXO stuff, and then we come and sing to the girl and bring her Bid Day stuff! It's so much fun!

[carnation]

Door decoration have always been big in the South! I remember the day after Bid Day, my 2 roommates and I woke up and found an angel and 2 owls on our door for Pi Phi and Chi O!

All during my pledge semester, the members continued to decorate my door so cutely!

[MoxieGrrl]

We put signs all over their doors when their up at the house for bid night...that way they have a cool surprise when they go back the next morning!

Kind of off the subject, but related to bid day....

All four of our campus sororities live on "Greek Hill." There is a road going up to it, but when you are walking there is a path. This path is called "Cardiac," so you can imagine what it feels like to walk up it several times a day! The women get their bids in the theater, then have to run down a hill, then up Cardiac. All four sororities are at the top, doing chants and screaming our heads off! There is always a friendly competition between the houses to see which house will have the first pledge up the hill. We've won for the past 3 years, btw... It's always fun to win the bragging rights to this!!