snake dance

{{About|the American school homecoming tradition|the Doctor Who serial|Snakedance|other uses|Snake dance (disambiguation)}}

A snake dance is a parade before or during a high-school event such as a football game. The parade includes floats built by each class, marching bands, students, and alumni.

The term may be used more narrowly to describe a student parade, a line of students celebrating, or a parade starting in a central business district or school location and ending with an evening bonfire and pep rally near the school. The University of Northern Iowa archives refer to a snake dance as early as 1922.{{cite web|url=http://www.library.uni.edu/collections/special-collections/history-homecoming-uni |title=library.uni.edu |publisher=library.uni.edu |access-date=2011-12-14}} A 1911 Associated Press dispatch covering Philadelphia fans celebrating the Philadelphia Athletics victory in Game 2 of the 1911 World Series reported, "Staid business and professional men joined their office boys and ragged urchins in a snake dance around city hall".{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LkUsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yskEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3596%2C864737 |title=Quaker City Fans All Enthusiasm |date=18 October 1911 |access-date=2011-12-14 |work=Herald-Journal}}