Homecoming 101
Homecoming Mums have been a part of Texas history for over 60 years. Dating back to the early 1900's, it has become a part of who we are as Texans. Mizzou is often credited with the first Homecoming event, asking alumni to come back and support the university. They promoted this by throwing a few social gatherings and organizing a parade.
Not many people realize that this football tradition is now almost a fall school spirit holiday at most Texas High Schools. These floral expressions have made their home in Texas and some parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico. Homecoming is quite a big deal. Leave it to Texas to take things to the next level. As they say everything is bigger in Texas. Enter the Homecoming Mum, which started as a real chrysanthemum adorned with a few basic ribbons in honor of alumni is now a work of art to wear for a day and then hang lovingly on the bedroom wall of high school girls everywhere.
When I was in school, we wore Homecoming mums with REAL flowers! (Cypress Creek HS Class of 1985) Today, the tradition is as strong as ever and includes some new touches that can make Homecoming a special time for everyone. Today the homecoming mum has evolved and continues to change each year as trends and styles do, too. What was once a simple expression of school spirit is now based on fashion design, couture colors and custom ribbons. Homecoming Mums can be anything the wearer wishes.
OVERVIEW OF HOMECOMINGS TODAY!
Colors-
Mums are made with the spirit colors of the high school, and often the addition of silver or gold if it's not an official color. Black is often added as an accent color to silver schools.
Senior mums are white and usually the metallic color of the school, silver or gold.
We LOVE to add touches of Black to our silver and sometimes a little to our gold to make them pop!!!!
If schools don't have either silver or gold in their school colors, they may wear gold or silver. It depends on the tradition of the school. It is very "in style" for seniors to add leopard, zebra, neon pink or other neons to their mums. There are NO RULES!!! Because they're seniors...and they can! Actually, all grades have been adding color lately!
Juniors will sometimes have mums in the opposite metallic color as the seniors, and white. They don't get the "official" school metallic color because they're "only Juniors." Or so the seniors say :) Cy-Fair & CyWoods High Schools don't do this, but most do.
Check with your school to confirm your color so you order the proper one if you are a Junior.
Date or no Date...Who Buys the Mum??
Homecoming is for ALL STUDENTS!!! Boys ask girls, girls ask boys, kids go in groups, or kids just go! Boys may ask girls in a unique way, like with a poster or some sort of clever surprise. Or, they may just ask regularly. As the kids get older, they may begin to become more elaborate and creative. If a boy and girl are going to Homecoming together, the boy typically buys the girl's mum and the girl buys the guy's mum. Alot of the time, the girls order their mums from me because they want custom, beautiful mums...and the guys don't mind!!!
IMPORTANT: You DO NOT need a date to get a mum.!! Dates determine, by tradition, who pays for the mums. Also, if you want a BIG mum, or a CUSTOM mum....it's ok to get your own and tell your date, "I have my mum ordered..." Happens ALL the time! Be in chareg of your mum!!! If you do not have an official date, you should still get a mum or garter. You just get it on your own. Some girls or guys go in groups- that's ok. Just get your own mum and maybe have them match or have something similar and fun on them!
Homecoming is for ALL students and having a mum on gameday Friday is a fun part of high school tradition for ALL students. You DO NOT need a guy to get a MUM!!!! That's so 1990's...Not wearing a mum to school doesn't mean you "didn't get a date"- it means you chose to not get a mum! And that's ok, too! It's 2016...You are in charge!!!
Wearing the Mum...and the Dance
Boys and girls exchange/get their mums on Thursday or earlier and wear them to school on Friday with a spirit shirt. Upperclassmen often get together and create/wear a group HoCo shirt. They will wear them to the game on Friday night, usually going together or in groups of friends.
Kids usually will gather in groups for pictures and then go to dinner before the dance on Saturday. They may bring their mums for a pic, but most do not. You do not wear your mum on Saturday to the dance. Some boys get their dates a corsage, but this is also a dying tradition. Very few do this anymore. If you're going in a group, it might be good for the boys to talk about this and do similar things so no one feels out of place with or without one. Parents usually drive the freshmen, while sophomores may begin to drive in groups with whoever has the safest, biggest car. Sometimes, kids go to one house to hang out after the dance and mom(s) may make breakfast with kids staying out until 1am or so. (Some just go to the dance to hear who gets HC King, take pics and leave!!! It's crowded and HOT in there I hear!!!) Ironic, HC has become more about the spirit week, the MUM.. and the football game!
After Homecoming, the mums typically hang on the bedroom wall until you graduate... or until your mom cleans your room!
I hope this helps! The nice thing is... you can ORDER YOUR MUM ONLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Call or text me with questions!!
Don't wait until the last minute to order your Homecoming Mum!!!
Plan ahead from the mum, the clothes, restaurant reservations, and even your group of friends going together!