Talk:Hunks & Homecoming/@comment-24539636-20140227100854/@comment-13010747-20140227211007

Homecoming is an event that is tied mostly to football (that's American football, you international fiends!). It usually takes place in the fall, after the team has had a few away games in a row, and then is "coming home" to play their next game. A school usually celebrates 'homecoming week' with themed dress-up days, and most school clubs spend time making floats (giant displays on flatbeds that have something to do with school spirit) for the Homecoming Parade. The parade is usually a competition of sorts, and the winning float gets a prize (usually money for the club). A Homecoming King and Queen are voted on by the school, the teachers, or both, and there is a big pep rally (usually on school grounds) that leads into the Homecoming Game. After the game, there is sometimes a dance (my school didn't do a Homecoming Dance, but some others in my area did).

Prom, on the other hand, is a formal dance event for the upperclassmen (usually just the Juniors and Seniors are invited to attend, unless an underclassman has an older date). It is not tied to a sports event, it is simply a celebration for students to attend. It usually takes place toward the end of the school year, so in spring. Most schools rent out a formal space somewhere in their town or city. Students usually dress up in gowns and tuxedos, and it is customary to go with a date (even if you are not dating someone, many people go with friends as dates for the evening). You can, however, attend Prom alone. A Prom King and Queen are crowned at the dance, and they are usually chosen through either a vote or a committee. At my school, there was no vote, the teachers chose people that had really contributed throughout the year and were not normally recognized by the student body for their efforts, which was very cool. It made it less like a popularity contest, and everyone was in the running.

Basically, Homecoming is an informal school celebration for all grade levels, and Prom is a formal event for the older kids. If I had to guess, to make the events feel different, the A&A Homecoming episode will probably focus more on the school spirit/pep rally aspects and the Prom episode will be the actual dance.