Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Friday Night Lights - Homecoming Texas Style

This past Friday was Homecoming for our high school. You know, like the big kahuna of football games. Not because of who we play, but because of tradition. Alumni return. Friends gather.
And the mums are over-the-top.
 
You may have heard it said that everything is bigger in Texas. Well, just wait 'til you see this.
 
Since homecoming is always crowded, it's important to get to the game early. Especially when you have child in band and they're going to do a special pregame performance.
 
And why bother with dinner when there are so many good things at the game.
Hot dogs always taste better at a football game.

 
Though some prefer Chick-fil-A or a barbeque sandwich.
 
 
Believe it or not, in this cow and chicken war, my daughter opted for the cow, while her husband was the chicken.
 
 
And no game is complete without an order of nachos.
 
 
The excitement builds as the team gets ready to take the field. Go Panthers!
 
 
But first, the band treats us to a most excellent performance.
I love marching bands. Football games would be so boring without them.
My little trumpet player is down there somewhere. Fourth trumpet from the front. Can you see him?
Oh, and those boxes are their props. This was their competition show. They've had competitions every Saturday this month. These kids may not lift weights, but I can tell you that they work every bit as hard as the football players.
 
But if you're a high school student, the big deal about homecoming is the mums. When I was growing up in Michigan, we had mums too. They were large, live and they sold them the day of the homecoming game for $1 or $2.
The mums in Texas, though, are unbelievable. Flowers and ribbons and feathers and whatever else they can think up. Some even light up.
 
The color guard girls show off their mums as they arrive at the stadium.
Yes, these mums hang around their neck.
 
Some mums are a little more subdued. Underclassmen have colored mums, usually school colors. The seniors, however, have white mums. High school protocol, you know.
 
 
The cheerleaders found a way to put those megaphones to good use.
Can you tell which mum belongs to a senior?
 
 
You guessed it.
Look at the cute teddy bears.
 
And just because a senior mum is white, doesn't mean it can't have personality.
Anybody want to guess her favorite Disney movie?
 
Some mums travel in pairs.
 
 
Some in threes. I suspect this is to hold each other up. Can you believe the size of these things?
 
 
Some even have to have their dates carry them.
Yes, this is outside the ladies room. :)
 
Oh, but the guys get in on the action too. They have garters. They wear them on their arm.
And the kids buy these for their homecoming dates. It's not uncommon for a mum to cost upwards of $200. A garter can cost $100 or more. Just depends on how ornate they are and whether you make it yourself or pay someone to do it for you. Yes, mums are big money in Texas.
 
But the grand prize for this year's most over-the-top mum has to go to this girl.
Next year, I think there should be a rule that no mum can be bigger than the person wearing it.
 
 
 Now it's your turn. What high school traditions linger on where you live?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

21 comments:

  1. Ok, I've never seen anything like this! EVER! This is wild!!!! My eyes are bugging out of my head!!!

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    1. Virginia, I want to see a pic of you with your eyes bugging out of your head. :)

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  2. I agree, Virginia! My eyes were bugging, too!

    We had mums in high school. A large mum with ribbons. But you could still pin it on. These would rip your clothes right off if you tried to pin them! :)

    Wow. Amazing. And the cost! The mums could cost more than the dress. Amazing. Yes, bigger in Texas!

    Now...once I'm over the shock, I'm craving barbecue or a hotdog. And Chick-fil-a! Gee thanks, Mindy. How will I ever settle for my planned noodles and parmesan??

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    1. Hee, hee, hee...it's all about the food, Missy. :)

      Funny you should mention the dress. They do NOT have a homecoming dance. They used to, but no one ever showed up, so they stopped having them. Go figure. In my day, the homecoming dance was only second to prom.

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  3. BTW, Virginia has a great post at Seekerville today!

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  4. This read so funny because in the British Isles mum is mom and since I'm from Ireland...well mum is the word so for the longest time I thought you were talking about flowers for the mums in attendance. LOL

    We definitely do nothing like that hear in Ontario. No marching bands. No hot dogs in the stand...no food of any kind actually. Not at the high school level. In fact we don't even celebrate Homecoming. How boring is that?!

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    1. Kav, that is so sad. Not the mum part, but the high school part. I guess some traditions don't carry across the boarder.

      However, I do like your idea about flowers for the Mums in attendance. I think that's a spectacular idea! :)

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  5. I'm with Virginia. This is amazing! I don't know what they do in high school yet, since DS is still in middle school, but this is mind boggling. I'm originally from Pittsburgh and like Kav, I thought you were talking about flowers too. Very educational post!

    Piper

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    1. Piper, I agree. This is just plain crazy. Some people need to learn that less is more. :)

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  6. We love homecoming! but we usually have the band, the awesome food, and crown the king and queen, then watch them ride around the field in a car. (Or on a tractor!!! Seriously...)

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    1. Our poor king and queen had to walk. Guess the mums took all the funds so there was no money left for gas! :D

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  7. This Yank has never seen nor heard of such a thing. I kept goin' back, re-looking, thinking WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT THING?????

    Oh mylanta, in the great state of Texas, everything is big!!!!

    Mindy, I can't even remember the food pics because I kept going back to the mums!

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    1. Kind of looks like a growth, doesn't it, Ruthy?

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    2. My first thought was albatross... which is a bad omen.
      Although my son learned how to wield a glue gun making mums at home, so there is some benefit to the whole thing. I grew up in Florida, and we had real flower mums, with the little pipe cleaner school initial (only one, because that's all that would fit) and some ribbons, but only about 6-8 inches worth. No cowbells at all.

      Andrea

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    3. Andrea, my oldest son and a female friend of his decided they would give each other mums last year. The stipulation, however, was that they had o make it themselves, so he got to experience the good and bad of hot glue guns too. :)

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  8. wow we had big mums when I was in HS (I had a simple one becaue my parents were buying and some things just weren't necessary...) but NOTHING like these! and the ones we had took some serious pinning and no one dared wear one with a strapless dress..couldn't be done! no one was this covered though - the big thing with ours were all the doodads - bells and jingles and sparkles and ribbons, braided ribbons, cowbells (little or medium ones), sometimes a teddy bear and football helmet(again not real size) these are unbelievable!
    not sure what's still traditional with my high school -a lways been similar type students but homecoming for somen nutty reason is always evry 3rd year so freshmen get to go their senior year - mne was my jr year.
    Susanna

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    1. Susanna, it's those doodads that add up. Hobby Lobby has a whole section devoted to mums and the stuff that goes on them. Like I said, it's big business.

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  9. LOL Andrea! That's exactly what we had in Kentucky.

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  10. Chik Fil A. The best. I am now drooling.

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