Fall is here! And for just about every leaf that falls, there's a tradition to match it. One of our favorites is the homecoming game. Today marks the homecoming parades and games for my life home town, so I thought I would look up the history. It's a weekend alumni return to their alma maters to celebrate fall and school spirit with a football game. Alumni go all out with tailgating and dressing in school colors, while students decorate parade floats with ornaments and throw spectacular parties. It dates back to the early 1900s, but which school started it and when is a matter of contention. Here's a little backstory of the homecoming game tradition.

The origin of the idea: The tradition of homecoming has its origin in alumni football games held at colleges since the 19th century. One of the oldest American football rivalries, Harvard vs. Yale, dates to 1875. Students, alumni and fans from both schools gather annually for The Game, although it's never been called "homecoming". The University of Michigan traces its tradition to 1897 with an alumni game, during which the varsity football team faced a squad of former players.

Whether you enjoy football, parades, or neither, have a great weekend!