Senior Mums For Homecoming? Trust The Answer

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Homecoming 101

Homecoming mums have been a part of Texas history for over 60 years. It dates back to the early 1900’s and 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 encouraged this by hosting some social gatherings and organizing a parade.

Not many people realize that this football tradition is almost like a fall festival in most Texas high schools. These floral expressions are native to Texas and some parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico. Homecoming is a pretty 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 an actual chrysanthemum adorned with a few simple ribbons in honor of alumni, is now a work of art to wear for a day and then lovingly hang on high school girls’ bedroom walls anywhere.

When I was in school, we wore homecoming moms with REAL flowers! (1985 Cypress Creek HS class) 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 mom has evolved and continues to change every year, as do trends and styles. 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 desires.

HOMECOMING OVERVIEW TODAY!

Colours-

Mums are made with the high school liquor colors, and often silver or gold when it’s not an official color. Black is often added as an accent color to silver schools.

Older mothers are white and usually the school’s metallic color, silver or gold.

We LOVE adding touches of black to our silver and sometimes a little bit of our gold to make them stand out!!!!

If schools don’t have silver or gold in their school colors, they can wear gold or silver. That depends on the tradition of the school. It is very “in style” for seniors to complement their mothers with leopard, zebra, neon pink or other neons. There are no rules!!! Because they are seniors… and they can! Actually all classes have added color lately!

Juniors sometimes have mothers in the opposite metallic color as the seniors and in white. They don’t get the school’s “official” metallic color because they’re “just juniors.” At least that’s what the seniors say 🙂 Cy-Fair & CyWoods High Schools don’t, but most do.

Contact your school to confirm your color so you order the correct color if you are a junior.

Date or No Date… Who’s Buying the Mama?

Homecoming is for ALL STUDENTS!!! Boys ask girls, girls ask boys, kids go in groups or kids just go! Boys can ask girls in unique ways e.g. B. with a poster or a clever surprise. Or they just ask regularly. As children get older, they become more sophisticated and creative. When a boy and girl go to homecoming together, the boy usually buys the girl’s mother and the girl buys the boy’s mother. Often the girls order their moms from me because they want individual, beautiful moms… and the boys don’t mind!!!

IMPORTANT: You do NOT need a date to have a mom.!! Data traditionally determines who pays for the mothers. Also, if you want a BIG mom or a CUSTOM mom….it’s okay to get your own and tell your date “I ordered my mom…” Happens all the time! Take care of your mom!!! If you don’t have an official date, you should still get a nut or garter. You just get it by yourself. Some girls or boys go in groups – that’s ok. Just get your own mom and maybe have them match or have something similar and fun on them!

Homecoming is for ALL students and having a mom on Game Day Friday is a fun part of high school tradition for ALL students. You do NOT need a man to have a MOTHER!!!! It’s so 1990’s… Not wearing a mother to school doesn’t mean you “didn’t get a date” – it means you made a choice not to have a mother! And that’s okay too! It’s 2016…You’re in charge!!!

Carrying Mum…and Dance

Boys and girls swap/pick up their mums on Thursday or earlier and wear them to school on Friday wearing a Spirit shirt. High school students often get together and create/wear a group HoCo shirt. They’ll wear them to the game on Friday night, usually together or in groups of friends.

Children usually gather in groups for photos and then go to dinner before the dance on Saturday. They can bring their mothers for a photo, but most don’t. You don’t carry your mama to the dance on Saturday. Some guys get corsages on their dates, but that’s also a dying tradition. Few do that anymore. If you’re going in a group, it might be good for the guys to talk about it and do similar things so no one feels out of place with or without one. Parents usually drive the freshmen, while sophomores can start driving in groups with whoever has the safest and largest car. Sometimes the kids go into a house to hang out after the dance and the mother(s) can make breakfast with the kids who stay out until about 1am. (Some just go to the dance to hear who gets HC King, take pictures and leave!!! It’s crowded and HOT in there I hear!!!) Ironically, HC is more about Spirit Week, the MUM … and the soccer game!

After coming home, moms usually hang on the bedroom wall until you graduate…or until your mom tidies up your room!

I hope it helps! The nice thing is… You can ORDER YOUR MAMA ONLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Call me or write me with questions!!

Don’t wait until the last minute to order your Homecoming Mum!!!

Plan ahead from mom, clothes, restaurant reservations and even your group of friends going together!

New to Homecoming Mums? What size? What to order? READ THIS! (Vintage Scrapping)

So your son or daughter comes home and says they need a homecoming mom or garter and you’re like, “A WHAT??!!”

Hopefully I can help clear up the confusion with this process and make it a little bit easier and more fun!

First, if you’ve never heard of it – maybe read Homecoming Mums – the tradition for some info. If you have a rough idea of ​​what these are, then let’s get started.

You need a homecoming mom or garter:

This would be either from you (the parent) to your daughter/son or for your son/daughter to hand over to his/her date. Or you can buy one yourself! Well, here are a few tips:

Freshman Homecoming Mum: If you are buying/making a Homecoming Mum for a Freshman, you will need a Single Mum (i.e. only 1 flower). The flower can be any size you want as long as it is only 1 flower. For example, I make a Basic Single Homecoming Mum, a Deluxe Single Homecoming Mum, and a Super Single Deluxe Homecoming Mum. Any of these would be acceptable for a newbie. My favorite mom I’m selling for a newbie is a Deluxe Single Homecoming Mum. The mother must be in the school colors with a coordinating metallic color (silver or gold). A bit of accent color is ok too (like zebra, cheetah, pink, etc.)

Sophomore Homecoming Mum: If you are buying/making a Homecoming Mum for a Sophomore, you will need a Double Mum (i.e. 2 flowers). It’s acceptable to have a single mother instead (whatever your preference) – the double is just tradition. These are examples of a Basic Double Homecoming Mum and a Deluxe Double Homecoming Mum. The nut should be made in the school colors with a coordinating metallic color (silver or gold). If you want to add a bit of accent color, that’s fine too (e.g. zebra, cheetah, pink, etc.). Once again the Deluxe Double Homecoming Mum is the most popular of the Double Mums that I sell.

Junior Homecoming Mum: If you are buying/making a Homecoming Mum for a Junior, then the tradition is a Triple Homecoming Mum (i.e. 3 flowers). I have 3 types of triples, Basic Triple Homecoming Mum, Deluxe Triple Homecoming Mum and MEGA Triple Homecoming Mum. Another size that some juniors will wear is my Deluxe Super Single Homecoming Mum or MEGA Super Single Homecoming Mum. With Juniors you can make any size you want except a quad.

Senior Homecoming Mum: If you’re buying/making a homecoming mom for a senior then you can order pretty much anything you want. The tradition would be a Quad Homecoming Mum with 4 flowers, but my Mega Triple Homecoming Mums are the most popular for seniors (and are actually almost the same size as a Quad!). Mega Super Size Single Homecoming Moms are also a great option. Here are some examples of my Mega Quad Mums and Mega Triple Mums. Another fun way is having a mom of three with a single mom to walk over your shoulder. There are also quints (yes, 5 flowers) and moreover these would normally only be ordered by a senior. For us, the most popular ones we sell for seniors are a Deluxe Triple Homecoming Mum, MEGA Triple Homecoming Mum, or a MEGA Quad Homecoming Mum, with the Deluxe Super Single Homecoming Mums and MEGA Super Single Homecoming Mums a close second. Seniors have all white with either silver or gold (depending on school colors) and more recently most seniors also add an accent color or favorite color (like pink, turquoise or zebra etc.). Think of the Senior Mum as your biggest and best mom you’ve had in all your high school years.

Homecoming Garters ALL CLASSES: Homecoming garters are a little different. The same theory applies (a freshman wouldn’t have a double or triple garter), but most guys settle for a single garter throughout high school. Our experience has been that freshmen and sophomores get a Basic Single Homecoming Garter or a Deluxe Single Homecoming Garter, with Deluxe being the most popular. Juniors usually opt for a MEGA Single Homecoming Garter as it is slightly larger and signifies upper class status. Most seniors will wear a MEGA Single Homecoming Garter, but in recent years the MEGA Double Homecoming Garter and MEGA Triple Homecoming Garter have grown in popularity. Last year we even did a MEGA Quad Homecoming Garter for a senior in Houston! Colors work the same way, with freshmen, sophomores, and juniors sticking strictly to school colors (little accent color allowed), with seniors being either silver and white or gold and white.

So now you know what size you want – but what do you want on it? How much is enough stuff??? Contrary to popular belief, no one becomes a social outcast unless they have the biggest and best mom out there. You want something nice, of course, and that’s where personal preference and budget come into play. First decide what you have to spend, and then decide which size and items are most important to you. If you’re making your own mom or garter, be sure to check out our DIY homecoming kits for your budget.

When you buy a nut:

FIND A MOTHERMAKER: Try to find a place where you won’t be nicked for every trinket, garland, etc. Most mama makers that I know personally (myself included) have a fixed price that includes many, many items and custom design with maybe some add larger options. They tend to look better this way because when they do your mom they don’t “use just the trinkets/items you paid for” etc., it’s all about the overall look and the finished product. If you google homecoming moms and your school’s name, you’ll usually come up with local mom makers. If there isn’t one in your area, some offer shipping. : Try to find a place that doesn’t nickel and dime you for every trinket, garland, etc. Most mama makers that I personally know (myself included) have a fixed price that includes many, many items and a custom design with maybe some additional larger options. They tend to look better this way because when they do your mom they don’t “use just the trinkets/items you paid for” etc., it’s all about the overall look and the finished product. If you google homecoming moms and your school’s name, you’ll usually come up with local mom makers. If there isn’t one in your area, some offer shipping. MelzMumz.com also offers shipping. PUT THE NAMES THERE. If it’s a guy giving it to a girl, etc – write both names on it. Personally, I think it’s good to include their nickname as well, if they have one. RIBBON COLORS . Be sure to order the mother in school colors EXCEPT SENIORS! Seniors receive white and silver or white and gold, depending on the school. Many seniors also choose an accent color (pink, turquoise, lime, purple, zebra, cheetah, etc.). It’s okay to add a little accent color to freshman, sophomore, and junior moms, too. Zebra and cheetah are both very popular. GET A BOA. Just do it. The boas add so much for so little – they’re fun and fluffy and let’s face it – who doesn’t love a boa??? BELLS ARE A MUST! – They want it to ring and make a lot of noise! trinkets and the like – and if you know a little bit about the person wearing the mother – most mother makers will adjust them to suit the person’s individuality e.g. B. by adding the sport or clubs they participate in. You don’t have to stick to just trinkets, you can add ornaments and pretty much anything you can think of. Last year I had a MEGA Triple Mum in a fifties Grease theme with cheetah, pink and black. I hung fuzzy cubes on the nut and had half a vinyl album sticking out at the top! SPECIALTY TAPE – like printed, silk, all kinds of metallics. These really make a huge difference in the way a mother looks, especially holograms. They add so much dimension to the mother. At the very least, try to have at least 3 or 4 printed ribbons and a few metallic ribbons like honeycomb ribbon or ice crunch. To see examples of different types of ribbons you can go to my website – like printed, silk, all types of metallics. These really make a huge difference in the way a mother looks, especially holograms. They add so much dimension to the mother. At the very least, try to have at least 3 or 4 printed ribbons and a few metallic ribbons like honeycomb ribbon or ice crunch. To see examples of different types of tape you can go to my website www.melzmumz.com and click on Extras Examples – it will show you pictures of almost everything. BRAIDS AND LOOPS – these are just great – but the best part is they make mama fuller! I see so many moms out there with no braids, just a bunch of ribbons hanging down and they look so flat! Put a braid there – you will be much happier with it. LOOK AROUND – find pictures of moms you like. Try not to get overwhelmed. Most mom makers will work with you when you say, “I like this, but I don’t like these, etc.” to come up with the perfect design. And don’t worry if you have no idea what you want – most professional mom makers know what they are doing and will create something amazing for you – be sure to check out the pictures of moms they made have – it will do you pretty good idea of ​​what they can create!

GET CREATIVE!! There aren’t too many things that are really “taboo” for a mother. Have fun with them! I pride myself on making my mums highly customizable to the person wearing them. For example, in a year I made a garter for a man who loved hunting. I found a deer head that I “mounted” in the center of the flower and started a new trend! Or a mom for a girl who loved root beer so I made a little root bear bottle with the Barg’s label on it for the bear to hold, for a girl who sings I made a microphone for the bear to hold, and for a man who wanted a Batman theme – I made a BatBear! Hello Kitty, fishing, all sports, activities, whatever!! So have fun with it! You will most likely have these keepsakes forever!

If you are going to make a mother:

Being a mother maker myself I have to say a few things about reality here and it’s not because I’m trying to discourage anyone from making one – it’s just to be honest and real. I want you to ENJOY the mothering experience! If you’re not a smart person per se – DO NOT TRY TO MAKE ONE – it’s not worth it! You will end up angry and frustrated and definitely not enjoying the mothering experience. Making these takes many hours, so be prepared to devote the time. The quality of the result is 100% dependent on the time and focus you put into it. Also, contrary to popular belief, it’s usually not cheaper to make one. Once you buy all of the supplies from the local craft store, you’ll often end up spending more than you would if you were to buy one. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been to a store and overheard a mother complaining that this is her fourth trip to the store to buy more supplies and that she’s now up to £150-200 invested US dollars.

That being said, if you’re crafty and want to make a nut or garter (which can be a lot of fun!!) then of course you’ll need to get supplies. MelzMumz.com actually offers complete do-it-yourself homecoming mom kits with EVERYTHING you need to make a great mom or garter PLUS INSTRUCTIONS! These aren’t rinky dink kits with bare bones basics – they’re packed with stuff!! Plus, our kits save you a lot of money compared to craft store prices! See our price comparison here. We also have FREE step-by-step printable picture tutorials with 30+ photos each for Single Homecoming Mums, Double Homecoming Mums, Triple Homecoming Mums and Homecoming Garters! Click here and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and you will see a printable guide. Or if you want to shop, you need to go to a local craft store and buy the flowers, tons of ribbons (solid satin acetate), printed ribbons, metal ribbons, garlands, trinkets, coasters, stuffed toys, bells, braids, glue. staples and other accessories you would like. It’s best to go with a list so you know what to buy. I’ve put together a download shopping list that lists all the necessary items for you to check off as soon as you get them, plus a notes section for adding anything you’re looking for. This will help you get the necessary items to make a nut or garter and not forget anything. With all the bases covered, it’s easier to shop at the store’s madness (if you’ve been shopping at the local craft stores during homecoming season—you know what I’m talking about!). Also, be prepared that stores usually run out of some supplies (usually flowers, bears, or supporters). So try to shop as early as possible!

I have many tutorials here on my blog that can help you create one and make braids. And if you get stuck along the way – write to me! I try to answer posts immediately. Things can get a little hairy for me during maternity leave, so sometimes it can take a day or two, but I usually try to reply right away!

I hope this helps provide some insight and guidance. Good luck and enjoy your new Homecoming Mum experience!

melissa

www.melzmumz.com

More Cowbell: Homecoming Mums and Garters

by Tori Espensen Sturges. Espensen-Sturges is a major in Experimental Psychology at USC’s South Carolina Honors College. This essay was written for the Fall 2008 Folklife in America course.

From September through November, a sound can be heard across the state of Texas—the ringing of cowbells attached to returning mothers and garters. “One of my senior teachers hated moms and garters, and he said if they jingled in class he would cut the bells off,” recalls Plano’s Marin Mueller. “We had to take them all off before we went to his class and tiptoe into the classroom to take them off.”1 To most in the country, these adorned flowers seem colorful and ridiculous, but in Texas they’re a tradition as strong as high school football itself. Homecoming Moms are large silk chrysanthemums adorned with long ribbons, trinkets, and of course, cowbells that represent the person wearing them and the school they attend. They are made in the school’s colors and can be decorated to reflect involvement in a sports team, musical organization, or other club. Modern mums are often made with two or three flowers and stuffed animals. Whether single, double or triple, the first mother is usually carried attached to the chest. Smaller versions, typically with ribbons about eighteen inches long, attach to garters that boys can wear on their arms. As with a typical corset/boutonniere exchange, a girl will usually buy her date’s garter and a boy will buy his date’s mother, although parents often buy them for their sons and daughters.

mothers as folklore

For the people of Texas, homecoming mothers and garters are definitely folk objects. To determine their status as folk objects, we can examine how they fit Elliot Oring’s indicators: 1) Communal – Homecoming mothers and garters are not only shared by the people of Texas, they serve as a rallying point and representation of a state identity. They are transmitted face-to-face between people who share common ideologies and values; 2) Personal – From the perspective of both the maker and the customer, homecoming moms are passed on face-to-face. Many florists who have been making mums for many years, like Kathi Thomas, learned from their parents. Most other current manufacturers have learned from other florists, either in their shop or, as in the case of Pam Fullerton of Bloomers, from shows and workshops. Students learn about the tradition from older siblings, parents, or other students; 3) General – The traditions surrounding homecoming, including mothers and garters, are so ingrained in the minds of Texans that it’s almost impossible to imagine a world without them. Corpus Christi’s Nathan Vance said he was shocked that “they don’t do that in other places.” When asked about their feelings about the tradition, a common thread was “I’ve never really thought about it”; 4) Informal – Although many people buy their mothers and garters from more formal institutions (florists), many source them from artisans or make them themselves. Even in more formal settings, the method of delivery is very clearly informal; 5) Traditional – Despite this variation, moms and garters still have a distinctly traditional aspect. The meaning and symbolism have not changed over time and are nearly identical across the state. Another consistency is the use of chrysanthemums, school letters and ribbons. No matter how much bigger and more sophisticated moms get, these always stay the same; 6) Marginal – Pop culture dictates current fashion and demands that it conform to certain standards. If the judgment of people outside of Texas shows anything, it’s that mothers exist outside of popular culture, and what popular culture dictates should be appropriate. However, for the people of Texas, this is one of their draws; 7) Aesthetics – Even if moms don’t fit into what pop culture dictates, there are still certain guidelines moms must follow to avoid ridicule or judgement. Part of this probably has to do with the weight that high school students place on assimilation, but whatever the reason, the community is definitely setting standards for what constitutes an “acceptable” homecoming mother; and 8) Ideological – Although returning moms and garters may seem like flowers and bows, to those who wear them they represent much more than just the $60 spent. Homecoming moms both represent high school football, which is commonly referred to as a “religion” in Texas. They also represent the importance of dating and relationships in high school life.

story

The homecoming celebration as we know it today can be traced back a century to the University of Missouri. In 1911, the school’s athletic director, fearing that no one would attend their big game, invited the alumni to return to campus to attend a cheer rally, parades, and pre-game parties. Homecoming corsets probably didn’t evolve too long after that. Chrysanthemums have long been considered the quintessential fall flower, so it makes sense to incorporate them into corsets for the quintessential fall sport. From there they grew into flowers with a couple of streamers attached and the school’s letters formed from pipe cleaners in the center of the flower.

Like all things in Texas, these simple mothers grew taller and more elaborate. Early moms were smaller, in part because they didn’t have a backing strong enough to hold the large ribbon halos found on modern moms. That all changed around 1972, when George and Janice Barnes of Spring Garden Wholesale in Brownsville, Texas, invented a large cardboard circle with a hole in the center, aptly dubbed “Mum Back.” This innovation led to an explosion in the popularity of mothers, as well as a change in their shape. These cardboard discs allowed ribbons to be pinned to a ring surrounding the flower, making the mums even larger and providing another opportunity for customization. Another change came with the introduction of the trinkets that now adorn mothers. Ranging from musical notes to mascots to sports balls and a plethora of other objects reflecting extracurricular activities, these trinkets allow for an incredible amount of personalization. Customers no longer had to rely solely on streamers in block letters to show who they were, they could promote all of their activities and interests. When glitter letter stickers were introduced it was another big step forward for the thriving industry. Florists no longer had to take the time to write letters to each individual mother, making the process much less labor intensive and therefore less time consuming. With less time being put into each mom, the creators could make a lot more for any particular homecoming celebration. Perhaps the most radical change began in the late 1970s. Up to this point, mums were made with fresh chrysanthemums. This meant that, like any corsage, they had to be made the night before the game and would fall apart soon after. The task of starting moms for an entire school in one day resulted in florists staying up all night to fill orders. Kathi Thomas remembers helping her parents make these moms until she fell asleep in the boxes under the tables. However, during the late 1970s to early 1980s silkmothers were used, first occasionally and then exclusively. This led to three major shifts: first, it meant many, many more orders could be filled because they could be made weeks in advance; second, it took moms from flower shops to craft shops; and third, the now permanent memorabilia began to serve a different function. Up to this point Mama’s corsages were very similar. However, when florists started using silk flowers, there were no more worries about the mother falling apart or the flower dying. This led to mothers taking on a role as a more permanent keepsake to remind the owner of a date, a football experience, and for most, high school in general. Many students not only save their mothers, but also pin them to their walls. For these students, but by the time they graduate, they may have an entire wall covered in flowers, ribbons, and glitter.

Regional differences

One of the most easily observed regional differences in homecoming mothers is simply their existence. Earlier mothers, the generation of fresh flowers and pipe cleaner letters, were all over the South. A simple explanation for this limited distribution is that football is king in the South. It follows that the ultimate incarnation of school pride and football spirit would be found in places where football dominates urban life. Kathi Thomas has given presentations on mothers throughout the Deep South. She explains that although they blew up in Texas, despite the best efforts of florists in other states, they never really took off. As moms grew and got bigger and more artful, it also makes sense that they would be even more embraced by a culture that admires bigger and better: the “everything is bigger” attitude of Texas. As Marin explains, “High school football is a really big deal in Texas, so obviously homecoming is a big deal, and we’re trying hard.”

How important moms and garters are and how popular they are also depends on where you are. The typical pattern is that schools in smaller, more rural towns place much more emphasis on homecoming and care much more about mothers than schools in big cities. This appears to be a function of the importance a particular city places on high school football. While soccer is undoubtedly the most important sport in the state, there are a few places where it is even more important. Small towns that don’t have many other options for Friday night entertainment or gatherings tend to be much more involved in the local high school’s football schedule. In the fall, these cities know the players, the coach, the tally, the upcoming games, fill the stadium for every home game, and travel for every away game. In cities like these, homecoming, and with it mothers, will be much more common and important for status and assimilation than in a city like Dallas or Houston. In most places, the seniors are distinguished by different colored flowers. Tommy Potter from Sugar Land observed that the mothers of the seniors at his school were white and the mothers of the juniors were red. This appears to be a pattern common to the majority of the state but not currently seen in the southernmost part of the state. Marin also reported this phenomenon in the Dallas area, as did Joanie from Mark Knox Florist of Odessa.

Depending on the school and location, there are also differences in when mums are worn. In most places, students exchange their dates on Friday morning, where they’re at school all day, that night for the homecoming game, and the next night for the homecoming dance. However, there are exceptions to this. Sugar Land’s Tommy recalled some people wearing them all week before the homecoming game. On the other end of the spectrum, many students at McAllen’s Memorial High School only wore them to the dance, not to school or to the game. Across town, however, at McAllen High School, students fit into the more typical pattern of school, play and dance.

There are some differences between schools in the patterns of who wears them. According to Corpus Christi’s Nathan Vance, the school required that all members of the Homecoming Court (king and queen nominees and the dukes and duchesses of all organizations) wear mums or garters. Because it was a requirement, the school paid them for all court members. At many schools, the cheerleaders and drill team have little moms on their hips, legs, or ankles, especially during games. Kathi Thomas used this to the advantage of her company, letting principals like cheerleaders and drill team members buy their moms first. By appeal to principals, trends for this year would begin. Some districts extend the mother tradition to middle schools. Students at Morris Middle School in McAllen requested their own homecoming game and dance that they could carry moms to. Across town at Cathey Middle School, a Tuesday was designated “Mother’s Day” and students carried only mothers to school. However, the Plano School District did not carry mothers in middle school, and Marin recalls being jealous of her older sister’s. At many middle schools, some students wear moms on the day of the high school homecoming game, especially if the student has family members closely associated with the high school, such as a family member. B. A parent who is a teacher or faculty member. The very brave go even further and buy peewee moms for young children to carry to the soccer game.

Individual variation

Students can easily personalize their moms and garters for themselves. The first, easiest and most universal method of personalization is to put your name and that of your date on bows. From there, trinkets and stickers are added to show who people are and what they do. Companies like ACI Wholesale in Dallas sell cleats, megaphones, boots, mascots, balls, musical notes, graduation caps, class indicators, and garlands of various sizes and colors. These can be selected when ordering and incorporated into the garter or garter in a variety of ways. Some people also add stuffed animals, usually either their school mascot or some type of animal (teddy bear, tweety bird) they really like.

Many students will buy their mums and garters from florists, which do a big mum business starting around August. Typically, mums purchased from professional florists are a bit more expensive, but they also have more of a guarantee of good quality. Other students will buy theirs from artisans who strive to market them more directly to students. This can be teachers, family friends, people who come and sell them directly at the school, such as at Calallan High School in Corpus Christi, or even people perching on roadside truck beds (such as was found in La Joya). Still other students choose a more time-consuming method and make it themselves. This usually requires you to go to a floral wholesaler or craft store to purchase the nut, pad, ribbons, trinkets, letters, and garter. Some stores sell pre-made backs with ties already attached. This method can take a lot of time, especially for the inexperienced, and a lot of money, especially if you just want to make one. The mother of McAllen Memorial High School students, Gina and Cristina Rodriguez, made hers and reused it from year to year, adding more embellishments over time.

The price of moms and garters can vary widely. Nathan from Corpus remembers paying ten or twenty dollars for his garter from a woman in his school parking lot. On the other hand, Marin recalls paying “no more than sixty dollars” for garters at a Dallas specialty store for moms, although she has seen garters go for as much as $150. Mothers who are taller and therefore allow for more embellishment vary even more. Ryan Blodgett paid about thirty dollars for a single mother in Fort Worth; Robert paid forty-five dollars for a single mother in McAllen, Tommy’s mother of two in Sugar Land cost almost ninety dollars, and in many places mothers of three cost between one hundred and sixty and two hundred dollars.

However, not everyone is content with just having a double mom on their chest. To this end, many mama shops, florists, and artisans make little mamas for fingers, bracelets, mamas to wear on the waist, mums for legs and ankles, bows, sashes, tower mums, and spirit wands. All of these can be worn with moms or individually. Christopher Solon of Kingwood reported that his brother and girlfriend, along with some of their friends, have opted for simple corsages and eliminated moms and garters altogether. Cristina from McAllen didn’t receive a mother in her senior year of high school, but instead received a basket of food tied with school ribbons. She recalls “girls complaining because they would rather have had a basket of food for their heavy mothers.”

Some florists have ditched the original form of mum, homecoming mum, and branched out into baby mums. These moms come in pink or light blue, have baby-related trinkets and ribbons that usually include the baby’s name, birthday, weight and length.

transmission

Homecoming mothers and garters are almost entirely traditional in transmission. This applies to both the florists who make them and the students who buy them. Kathi Thomas learned how to make it as a child in her parents’ shop. Her mother was a florist and her father ran the nursery. At that time, moms were still made from fresh moms, and so they had to stay up the night before a homecoming party to make them. In that atmosphere, Kathi learned the skills that would eventually lend credence to the only partially complementary nickname, “The Queen of Homecoming Mums.” Pam Fullerton from Bloomers Flower Shop in Harlingen learned from Kathi at a mom show. Most other florists learn from other florists they work with during maternity season.

Most students learn the tradition in the month or two before their first homecoming experience, whether it be in middle school or high school. If he or she has a parent who is from Texas, they often find out from them. Perhaps because dating etiquette and floral arrangements are traditionally a female domain, the mother is more often the vehicle for transmission than the father. McAllen’s Sean Folk explained, “Most of the time, it was the parents who told us kids what to do.” Gina and Cristina Rodriguez agreed. Other students, like Marin, found it out by watching their older siblings walk to their high school homecomings. For those who did not have older siblings to learn from or parents familiar with Texas traditions, peers took on the role of teacher when it came to this school custom.

Why mothers?

Almost all of the students surveyed, no matter where they were from, focused on two main functions of homecoming moms: as artifacts of school spirit and as advertisements for your date. According to Marin:

A mom is a really fun way to show school spirit. It can be fully customized to suit your taste and is sentimental. I still have all of my moms from high school hanging on my bedroom wall because it’s nice to look at and remember how much fun coming home was this year. Also, it’s really nice to know that someone has thought about making or choosing something they knew you would enjoy.

Ryan agrees with her much more succinctly. “[They’re] a kind of declaration of love … and [they] show school spirit.” Cristina was a little more wary of the true purpose of mothers. “Homecoming was an opportunity for boys and girls to claim their partners because in the Valley people are very territorial about their dates.” Sean Folk, also of McAllen, says he lacked school spirit, but that Garter that his date (the author of this paper, by the way) gave him reminded him to have school pride. “It was also a reminder that I had a date in the very near future.” Nathan was a bit more specific, including not only school pride but also homecoming in the role of mother: “It’s a combination of school spirit and Celebration themed around the annual return of your school’s alums. It’s also kind of cute – oh my god, did I really just use that word? – Tradition for dates.”

Thoughts on Tradition

Homecoming Moms and Garters has mixed reviews from both attendees and those from outside of Texas. For most people outside the South, the first question that is usually asked is “What is that thing?” closely followed by “Why?” questionable, but some people began to wonder about the tradition when asked about it. Sean Folk thinks that homecoming in general is “a little bit out of whack. It’s just nonsense for [him].” Cristina recalls the tradition as a “downer” for singles. Gina questioned if the purpose of moms and garters was just “to show people you’re taken” because “if you want to show school spirit, just go to the game.” Ryan seemed a little more exasperated in his thoughts on tradition, proclaiming himself a “big fan of rampant consumption when it comes to products that take [him]’s mind off the doldrums of life,” but called moms and garters “harsh Tom.” -Fool”.

However, there are some people who are big fans of the tradition. Nathan was one of them, although he “couldn’t really say why.” Tommy also agreed, mostly for the reminders it offered when homecoming was over and the garter stuck to your wall and as a way to keep people committed to their dates. Marin’s approval was based on the same reasons. Robert simply described the exchange as “pretty funny”.

community aesthetic

The community places a high value on what homecoming mothers and garters look like, and there is definite repercussion, usually in the form of ridicule, for those who don’t match what is valued. Since the introduction of glitter letters, moms who are hand-lettered are usually looked down on and not socially accepted. There is also judgment for those who make their own or whose only mother is from their parents. Ryan explains that the people who made them for themselves were usually “fat girls who didn’t want to feel left out.” He elaborated that “the most annoying and loneliest girls always had the tallest ones, even though no mate could be found for them.” His hypothesis was that they “made their parents buy them so they could have one.” It’s easy to see how, when students place so much emphasis on the dating aspect of homecoming moms, someone who has received one from a parent can be looked down upon by their peers. However, it’s important to note that when someone gets one from their parents in addition to a date, it often makes that from a parent not only acceptable, but “cute.”

Even if a mom or garter is bought for a date and swapped out with a date, there’s still room for judgment. Sean Folk was proud of the garter he got on his date, especially when he compared it to his best friend’s. “It was handpicked and poorly made. It was sad. Entertaining, though.” Much of the leeway in making that judgment comes from the fact that Sean views mothers as a “status symbol.” Nathan said that when he saw someone with a badly made mother, he felt a little sorry because he automatically assumed the person didn’t have much money.

stories

Because homecoming is such an important part of high school football season, most people have stories that revolve around moms and garters. Nathan Vance of Corpus Christi shared his first encounter with mothers.

I must have been very young. My parents have been taking me to high school football games for as long as I can remember. I suppose I first heard about them when we were attending my mom’s high school homecoming game (she had returned for a class reunion) and my dad bought her a mom and she bought my dad a garter. I think I said something like “they look stupid” and then ripped off a bell from my mother’s mother. Remember I was very young!

A lot of mom stories are about girls with moms who were just too big for them or their dress. Kingwood’s Christopher Solon laughed at his first and only homecoming experience.

I had visited my friend for her homecoming. I had never really been ready for school, but she was. God, was she ever! She was the vice president of the student body, a super dedicated, above average person, you know the guy. Anyway, I didn’t have much experience with the whole flower thing, so she took care of everything for me. She has her mum, my garter, everything. When we were at the dance, she and I spent probably two hours betting on which girl would have her dress pulled down by her mother first. She was so angry that I won but ended up just laughing about it because the girl whose dress it was wasn’t wearing a bra.

The little girls were always one of the funnest to watch on the homecoming day. Cristina Rodriguez recalled that her friend’s date was “pretty brief” and had a “massive mom.” In the end, she tripped over the ribbons and fell down the stairs. I felt so sorry for her because everyone was laughing but it was really funny.”

There are also stories about how many mothers a person carried homecoming in a given year. There are many stories about girls with five, ten, even fifteen mothers, but Corey Ward of Corpus Christi knew a girl who carried twenty-three mothers at the same time.

They were mostly single moms, but it was still ridiculous. They covered her entire front and back, some on her legs, her arms like garters. She had several attached to her hips and belt. Her parents were divorced and she got one from each, plus one from her boyfriend, some from her friends, her grandparents, school organizations, her friends, and I think a few guys surprised her with that. I have no idea how she moved or walked. She looked like a parade float or something. It was probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Surprising girls with moms isn’t always a good idea, although many people look forward to it. Cristina knew a girl who got a surprise mom from a boy who had long been interested in her. When the girl received it, she just put it in her locker and left it there for the rest of the week. When she finally took it out, it was “crushed, just like [the giver’s] hopes.” Apparently, because of the associations associated with mothers and the idea that they’re advertisements for affection, she didn’t want him to give the wrong impression, instead ignoring the gesture entirely.

Even florists have stories about moms. Kathi Thomas of Kathi Thomas Designs shared a situation that occurred while she was doing a mom show in Alabama. It featured a giant mother made with a cake stand as a base. She showed it off as a door decoration but said she would never forget what happened. During her presentation, a woman raised her hand and asked, “Now darling, does Ah put one of those sahze on the hosses?”

Homecoming moms and garters are frowned upon and looked down on as “ridiculous,” “ostentatious,” and “pointless” by people outside of Texas, and even by most florists. Für diejenigen, die daran teilnehmen, ist es jedoch ein wichtiger und sinnvoller Teil ihrer Highschool-Erfahrung. Wir tragen sie nicht trotz ihrer Lächerlichkeit und Pracht, wir tragen sie deswegen. Sie „bringen deinen inneren Zigeuner zum Vorschein“ und repräsentieren deine Schule und Dating, zwei große Teile des Highschool-Lebens. Sie verkörpern die Dinge, die der texanischen Kultur am Herzen liegen – Highschool-Fußball, groß, protzig – und repräsentieren so in gewisser Weise Texas selbst. Sie sind, um es mit den Worten von Kathi Thomas zu sagen, „auf Festkörper gebrachter Fußballgeist“.

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