Aaah… homecoming: the tradition of welcoming back alumni to their alma mater. A common practice in many high schools, colleges and universities, homecoming is typically a multi-day celebration that includes sporting activities, dinner-dances, cultural events, and colorful parades.

Homecoming week is an event planners dream, with a variety of events and activities that run the gamut from casual picnics and tailgate parties to elaborate dances, school rallies and dress-up days, to parades and powder puff football.

In the United States, September and October typically mark homecoming season, capped with a game of football and coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen. The tradition dates back to the mid-1800′s, with the annual Harvard-Yale games, and has evolved through the years.

This Infographic courtesy of PromDressShop presents a brief history of homecoming, from 1870 to 2012. What is your homecoming tradition?