High School football in Texas is BIG! And the biggest game of the season is Homecoming. The true purpose of Homecoming is to welcome back alumni and/or residents who have moved away. It is a time for them to "come home" and celebrate. Did you know that the birthplace of homecoming is considered to be the University of Missouri or Baylor University (here in Texas), depending on whom you ask? I didn't, either, till now. Baylor's first homecoming was in 1909.
Homecoming in Texas is more than BIG! It usually includes pep rallies, the homecoming court, dress-up days at school, tailgating, parades, a football game, a dance, and don't forget... mums! I only came to realize about a month ago that homecoming mums are pretty much a Texas thing.
What started out as a sweet gesture has turned into a monster. When I was in school, we used to make our homecoming mums with real chrysanthemums and lots of ribbons. Now, for homecoming, the mums are silk flowers and the bigger the mum, the gaudier the mum, the better. Boys also get a piece of the action they didn't get when I was in school. They wear mums on a garter on their arms. In our school, students wear their school colors except for seniors who wear white and silver or white and gold
My twins are seniors this year. My son went to the homecoming dance as a freshman, but he hasn't gone since and doesn't plan to this year, but since he's a senior, I decided to make him a garter anyway. Typically, if the student has a date, the date has the mum made. Parents also buy or make them for their kids, and sometimes friends make them for each other. They can get expensive when they're store-bought and done by professionals. They're pretty expensive even if you make them yourself, but it's fun!
This is the mum I made for my son. It's a smaller version of a traditional Texas mum attached to a garter. I always think that what I make isn't good enough, but my daughter said she liked it, so maybe I did okay. Now, will he wear it to school and the game? That remains to be seen.
You did a good job!!!
ReplyDeleteI like it! I read another blog where she talked about giving and getting mums, and I totally didn't get it. This makes a lot more sense!
ReplyDeleteSo, did your daughter make one for a guy? What did hers look like?
You did great! It looks awesome!
ReplyDelete