High school students in Texas
have developed a tradition of wearing elaborate, ever-larger floral
pins to their homecoming dances. These pins — many bigger than a dinner
plate and covered in artificial flowers, ribbons, and even stuffed
animals — are known as mums.
What is the point of a homecoming mum?
At
some point not too long after this first homecoming celebration in
Missouri, the tradition of a boy giving a chrysanthemum to his
homecoming date as a corsage was born in Texas. For decades, mums were simple, comprised of just a small flower with perhaps a few ribbons.
Why do they call it a homecoming dance?
Homecoming
is an annual tradition of the United States. People, towns, high
schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early
October, to welcome back alumni and former residents
What started out as a
simple token gift from a teenage boy to his girl has morphed into a
tradition of gargantuan proportions that, again, proves everything is
bigger in Texas
Today, they are mammoth, over-the-top splays of
silk chrysanthemums festooned with flowing ribbons, plush animals and an
array of colorful trinkets that have spawned competition among girls to
see whose is the biggest, and therefore, best.
The Texas mum is an expression of a teenage girls personality. No longer are the days to wait for the young man to ask the young lady, although it is still considered the proper thing to do, especially in TEXAS. But not required. Young ladies can be their own person.
Some MUMS can weigh as much as 20 - 30 pounds. The sky is the limit on cost and imagination. I included on my ribbons things that make me... ME! Love of School, Supported charity "CHASA.org, childhood stroke association", a ribbon for my cat Tinkerbell, Freshman Ribbons, and lots of bling, ribbons, furs, feathers and lets not forget the lights. Was lots of fun. Looking forward to the GAMES and the DANCE... Thanks to my mom for her support. Love Kearstyn
