via deadspin.com

At Dartmouth, we observe a handful of high holy days. These include the Thursdays before big weekends, the night of the Homecoming bonfire, M@sters, and every day of both Green Key (which should last at least five days if you’re doing it right) and sophomore Summer. Some of these sacred moments are several hours long; some are several weeks. However many of these days you choose to celebrate, it’s time to add one more to your list – Sundress Day.

Sundress Day is beloved by boys and girls (and possibly some pervy townies and through-hikers) alike. According to UrbanDictionary.com, the source of all my knowledge, Sundress Day is officially defined as “the first day that the weather warms up, when suddenly women appear everywhere in light, revealing summer dresses. Usually in early spring in the Northern Hemisphere. A day greatly anticipated by people who wear dresses and those who gawk at them.”

Sundress Day is a signal that the godforsaken Hanover winter is finally, probably letting up and that the season of day drinking, country music and outdoor pong is upon us. Sure, it snowed in May last year, but who’s counting?

Girls love Sundress Day because we hate wearing pants, and the onset of summery weather means we no longer have to. Why do you think we are always wearing leggings and running shorts and yoga pants? We know they’re not pants, you don’t need to tell us. That’s the point.

Boys love Sundress Day for obvious reasons. As Barney so eloquently put it on How I Met Your Mother, “What piece of women’s attire most stokes a man’s desire?” The answer? A sundress. “What lightweight outfit, pink or white, makes the front of my slacks abnormally tight?” A sundress.

But what makes a day Sundress Day?

Seniors at my high school had two near-religious holidays of their own. We had Senior Walkout, the first day of the winter where there were at least six inches of snow on the ground, and Beach Day, the first school day when temperatures topped 80 degrees.

On both of these days, we skipped class and spent our days snowball fighting or tanning in our school’s courtyard. Both of these days also had strict guidelines, and since my senior class only numbered 174 potential truants, news traveled quickly and everyone pretty much knew what was going down within five minutes.

At Dartmouth, however, we have no such system. Maybe we should get the equivalent of the Abominable Snowman or Dr. Seuss or whoever it is that blitzes out about the snowball fight to do the same thing for Sundress Day? In any case, somehow, generations of Dartmouth women have magically come together year after year and figured it out for ourselves. By all weather forecasts, today seems like it could be Sundress Day. Make it count, ladies and gentlemen.