Sorority Big/Little Week may seem like a very strange phenomenon to the average non-Greek individual. During this time on college campuses, it’s not unusual to see sorority girls sneaking around, hiding in bushes to watch their littles receive their gifts, or to see groups of boys wearing anything from suits to wigs to horse heads carrying baskets of goodies to deliver to sorority littles (and sometimes they even sing). To an outsider, these strange occurrences might make us look a little crazy—and maybe we are a little bit—but this part of sorority life is one of the most meaningful and fun parts for all of us. Here’s an inside look into what goes on behind the scenes from a big’s perspective that makes Big/Little one of the best parts of sorority life.
1. A Whole Lot of Crafting
Big/Little Week takes more work than you’d think, but not only is it worth it, it’s also super fun. Among the many gifts and goodies we bigs give our littles are a whole bunch of crafts. Anything from paintings and picture frames to personalized sorority letters and pin boxes, we’ve crafted it all. Being a big involves more trips to Michael’s and Hobby Lobby than you can count (and more hours on Pinterest than I’d like to admit). You find out pretty soon that crafting is actually really fun because it consists of making personalized things you think your little will love, laughing when your creations don’t turn out so great, hoping your little agrees with the whole “it’s the thought that counts” sentiment, and spending all that time crafting and laughing with your sisters.
2. A Whole Lot of Scheming
The goal of Big/Little Week is to shower your little with things she’ll love to welcome her into the sorority while also keeping your identity a secret, which is no simple task. To make sure you don’t give yourself away, you have to do some pretty devious stuff, including but not limited to meeting up with other people in strange locations to hand off your gifts for delivery, conspiring with your little’s roommate, spying on your little to make sure you know when and where to surprise her, etc. It feels a little like an adventure and a little sketchy at the same time, but it’s all about making your little feel loved and welcomed into your sisterhood. Plus, it can be really fun, too.
3. A Whole Lot of Love
Of course, the best part of Big/Little Week is that, at the end of it, you get a new sister with whom who you get to share a lifelong bond. Behind all the silly songs and embarrassing surprises that the rest of the campus sees are sorority girls who really care about making their new members feel loved. At the end of the week, littles get a big sister to guide them through college and sorority life, and bigs get to make their new little sister feel as welcome as possible in their sisterhood. It’s a friendship almost as special as having actual sisters. It makes reveal day one of the most fun days of the year, and it makes all the craziness and bizarreness of Big/Little Week worth it!
