What was the Booger Dance and How did the Cherokee ceremony originate?

In the winter, the Cherokee enjoyed a rowdy ceremony called the Booger Dance.

After guests arrived at the host’s home, four masked dancers ran into the house.

The dancers, called boogers, made crude noises and chased women around the room, all for the amusement of the audience. The masks of the boogers had grotesque features and often depicted non-Indians.

The dance may have started as a way of making fun of these intruders in the Cherokee homeland.