Non-Native Texan Shocked by This Strange Texas Tradition
Homecoming season is here, which means a slew of traditions are underway. Whether you're preparing for the big football game, a spirit rally, or the Homecoming dance, this is a time when students crank up their school spirit and get ready to celebrate.
One of the biggest things Texans prepare for, putting hundreds of dollars into it every year, is the Homecoming Mums tradition. As someone who didn’t grow up in the Lone Star State, this was a foreign concept to me. When I first heard someone talk about their mums, I thought they were just saying 'mom' in a strange way.
I was quickly educated about the tradition, but still don’t understand why so much time is put into something you wear for a couple of days, then hang up in your bedroom wall to collect dust. The most shocking thing about it is how much money people put into these mums. Whether they pay someone to make it for them, their mom makes it or actually receive it through the tradition of your homecoming date gifting it, I've seen people put over $1,000 into their mums.
The tradition supposedly originated in Texas in the 1930s with high school boys asking their date to the homecoming dance with a chrysanthemum flower. From there, the tradition grew. Ribbons replaced the flowers, things got more elaborate, and, in true Texas fashion, they got bigger. So much bigger that some of these Mums are nearly twice the size of the girls wearing them, if not larger.
If you don't believe just how crazy they get and how much money is put into them, just watch this TikTok and see what actual Texas high school girls are sporting for this year’s homecoming.