It’s officially homecoming season, and if you live in Texas, you know that means the mums are upon us.
So what’s the deal with mums?
A mum is a decorative accessory traditionally worn around a woman's neck, while its male counterpart, the garter, is a smaller and more understated version worn around a man's arm. Typically, the mum is designed and ordered by the male partner, and the garter by the female. These items are exchanged the night before homecoming week.
The origins of homecoming are disputed, with Baylor, Illinois and Missouri all claiming to have hosted the first in the early 1910s. Regardless, these early celebrations all centered around a football game, with rallies, parades and dances aimed at uniting alumni and students to boost school pride.
As homecoming events grew, so did the mums, and it became customary for boys to give their dates a chrysanthemum corsage. Originally simple, with a small flower and a few ribbons, the mum evolved into a much more elaborate tradition by the 1970s.
Though it might seem excessive to invest time, money and effort into creating extravagant accessories for just one night, showing up to school on homecoming day without a mum or garter would be almost unthinkable. In Texas, where Friday night lights are a beloved tradition, it would be nearly sacrilegious not to support your school's football team in the most flamboyant and festive attire possible.
It’s true — everything is bigger in Texas. Some high school boys go all out by ordering three large buttons for their date’s mum, arranging them in a heart shape. The more extravagant the mum, the better.
As Local Profile previously reported, these mums are often assembled by PTA moms in a factory-like setting, with a portion of the proceeds typically benefiting the school. Others opt to purchase supplies from craft stores and craft the southern accessories themselves. But in more recent years, mum stores have popped up, such as The Mum Shop in Allen, Texas.
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