Heyday comes from the old Germanic word "heida" meaning "hurrah!"
A little history in short.. In its earliest appearances in English, in the 16th century, "heyday" was used as an interjection that expressed elation or wonder (similar to the English word hey, from which it derives). Around the same time, "heyday" saw use as a noun meaning "high spirits." (This sense can be seen in Act III, Scene IV of Hamlet, when the Prince of Denmark tells his mother, "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame….") It wasn’t until the 18th century that English speakers, perhaps interpreting the "day" of the second syllable to mean "a time or period," began using "heyday" to refer to the period when one’s achievement or popularity has reached its zenith.
Hey Day is a tradition that started in the years of World War II on Auburn's campus. Students on campus get to make name tags so that anyone can walk by and say "Hey!" to them, even if it is someone you have never met. The beauty of Hey Day is its unifying power as it allows everyone at Auburn to be connected. It creates an incredibly friendly atmosphere on campus and makes everyone feel welcome! For more information--
First, in case you are unfamiliar with it, read more about this Auburn tradition here: http://sga.auburn.edu/hey-day/