Homecoming Mums

Most people I know now have no idea what I’m talking about when I mention Homecoming Mums.  I’ve figured out that it’s very much a Texas thing.  I’ve had to pull up photos online just to show people what they look like, and they always think it’s funny.  This one is from Michael’s:

Now, this one may be 4-5 feet long, and may cost around $100. For a better idea on what kind of mums are available, see www.mumsandgarters.com. 

Girls wear these mums all day.  They are very much a sign of popularity, at least they were when I was in high school.  The bigger the mum, the more popular you are.  Usually your boyfriend gets you a mum – if you don’t have a boyfriend, you have to beg your parents to get you one.  And it really is much better to pay someone to make one, rather than make one yourself.  (Trust me – I know.)  Really wish I could find my pictures…

I had three mums in school – one year I made my own (disaster), one year my parents bought me one, and one year I was lucky enough to have a boyfriend buy me one.  And it was a good one – a big single, that hung down below my knees.  Yeah, that was awesome.

On the guys side, they get garters they wear around their biceps.  The same applies – the bigger, the more popular you are.  But, unlike for girls, most men who have them actually get them from their girlfriends. 

Trust me – you MUST check out this link to fully appreciate mums and garters.  (What’s funny is, I did a google search for images, found this one to be perfect, then realized it was for The Woodlands HS, which I went to.  Well, actually, I went to McCullough HS, which I think is now a middle school, and TWHS took it’s place, but still – small world, eh?

As you can see from the pictures, lots of ribbons, usually with your name on one, the high school name on one, your boyfriend’s name on one, ribbons with “Go Team” or “WIN!”.  Oh, the possibilities are endless.  Oh, yeah, and little trinkets and things, too, whistles and footballs and helmets and letters and bears…

As you can imagine, these things weigh A TON.  It looks like these girls actually have them strung around their necks, but when I was in school they were pinned to your shirt, usually to one side (I think the left).  Imagine 20 pounds pinned to your shirt.  Yeah, insane, right?

Ah, memories….

(More links to mum pictures, here, here.