You’ve got questions, and it’s no wonder. Homecoming mums evolve with every generation. I’ve spoken to people who wore a homecoming mum as recently as 15 years ago, and they can’t believe how much mums have changed since they were in school. Imagine how foreign today’s mum look to someone who hasn’t seen one since the 1970s, 1980s, or even 1990s!

May the answers to these ten questions guide you on your journey to mum enlightenment.

What is homecoming?

“Homecoming” is a name given to an annual event (or series of events) hosted in honor of alumni or other former members of an organization.

Homecoming celebrations at high schools and colleges across the United States are almost always anchored by an athletic event (traditionally a football game, but it could be basketball or another sport), and involve a mix of activities for students, alumni, and community members. Schools often host several homecoming activities, such as dances, pep rallies, parades, and alumni reunions, on the days immediately before or after the homecoming game. High school football is typically played on Friday night.

The first use of the word “homecoming” to describe such an event at the college level, according to my research, took place in 1909 in April at Southwestern University (although no football game was played) and in November at Baylor University (there was a football game). Another early homecoming football game took place in 1911, when the University of Missouri athletic director invited alumni to “come home” for the Missouri-Kansas football game.

Over the next couple of decades, the practice of homecoming games and activities spread to other colleges, universities, and high schools across the United States.

What is a homecoming mum?

If you have a wearable flower with a spirited array of ribbons, bells, charms, and trinkets related to your life as a high school student, you probably have yourself a homecoming mum.

The word “mum” is short for “chrysanthemum.” Today’s homecoming mums are made out of silk/artificial flowers and lots of embellishments. In the early 1900s, when the tradition got started, mums were simple corsages made from a single live chrysanthemum flower. Take a deep dive into the lore of chrysanthemums >

How did high school homecoming mums get started as a tradition?

The homecoming mum (“mum” is short for “chrysanthemum”) began in the early 1910s as a token of affection given to a girl by her date to wear or carry to the homecoming football game and/or dance. Chrysanthemums, which are hearty and bloom in the fall, were a natural option for homecoming corsages and spread in popularity across the country over the next few decades.

Then, in Texas during the 1950s and 1960s, high school homecoming mums began to evolve beyond simple corsage with the introduction of silk flowers and, eventually, many more embellishments (you can learn WHY this happened in my book, MUMENTOUS). By the early 2000s, Texas-style high school homecoming mums had completely differentiated themselves from their humble roots. Click here to learn more >

Is it still the tradition that boys give girls homecoming mums?

Yes. But today, it’s a tradition with a lot of flexibility.

In the traditional scenario, a boy asks a girl to go to homecoming with him. Often, the “Ask” is done in a clever way weeks before the homecoming game (click here for an example). Once the girl accepts the boy’s invitation, the implication is that he will give her a homecoming mum and she will give him a homecoming garter (see description below). The couple arranges in advance to exchange the mum and garter a couple days before homecoming day.

It’s not at all unusual for students and their families to break with this tradition in many ways — Click here to find out how — and personally, I like that there’s no longer just one way (boy asks girl) to participate in this tradition.

What else does a boy give a girl at homecoming?

If the high school hosts a homecoming dance, it’s usually held on a different night than the game. Depending on local customs, the two people are “going” to homecoming together exchange flowers at the start of the date. Customarily, the girl gives the boy a boutonniere and the boy gives the girl a corsage, but in a growing number of communities, the girl receives a small nosegay (bouquet) either in addition to a corsage or instead of one.

What does a girl give a boy at homecoming?

A boutonniere (see above) and a garter mum (see below).

What’s the difference between a mum and a garter?

Mums are much larger than garter mums (or “garters,” for short). Mums are traditionally worn by girls on the front of their bodies. Garter mums are traditionally worn by boys on their upper arms.

A sturdy ribbon affixed to back of the floral center secures the mum like a REALLY big necklace. Garters are held in place either by a sturdy ribbon, elastic band, or garter.

Garter mums are an off-shoot of the original homecoming mum. They didn’t exist before the 1970s. Garters came onto the scene in Texas as mums were evolving in size and complexity. Keep in mind that in the traditional scenario, the boy gives the mum to the girl, so garters became an opportunity for the girl to have something comparable to give to her date.

When do you wear a homecoming mum?

Homecoming mums (and garters) are worn to the homecoming game. In many high schools across Texas, students are also permitted to wear their mums and garters to classes during the day and to the homecoming pep rally. Sometimes mums are worn by students participating in the homecoming parade. Rarely are mums worn to the homecoming dance (I mean, can you imagine trying to dance in one?)

Are homecoming mums just a Texas high school thing?

Today’s homecoming mums are primarily a high school practice in Texas. In some Texas communities, lower grades levels are also involved in celebrating the local high school homecoming game, and sometimes “mini-mums” are given to younger siblings of high school students and/or junior cheer squad members. Occasionally seniors will give their mothers or grandmothers a small homecoming mum or corsage as a sentimental gift. In a few Texas colleges and universities, small mums make an appearance on some students and alumni, but that’s the exception and not the rule.

As for the other 49 states?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that in some communities across the country, chrysanthemums are still offered by florists as an option for homecoming corsages. Local high school custom dictates whether corsages are worn to homecoming games or if they are instead given as a part of a corsage-boutonniere exchange before the homecoming dance.

Interestingly, in recent years, Texas-sized mums have been making their way into other high schools in other states. Click here to learn more >

How Big are Texas High School Homecoming Mums?

Fact. Most of today’s homecoming mums, especially those in Texas, are much larger than their ancestors: a corsage made from one live chrysanthemum flower. But the majority of homecoming mums in Texas today are probably not as large as you think, and there is at least one reason why this is true. Despite what your newsfeeds deliver, most mum-wearing students are not driven solely by TikTok-inspired one-upmanship. They are driven more by personal taste, their friends, budget, and the unwritten customs in their high school.

What I’m saying is, we inaccurately think all homecoming mums in Texas are gigantic because the photos that go viral disproportionately favor gigantic mums over typical ones. Learn more >

Or maybe you’re asking how BIG are homecoming mums in Texas, as in, are they really a big deal?

The big picture answer is yes. Mums are a tradition in nearly every high school in Texas, and by last count, that’s over 3,200. Between the suppliers, distributors, retailers, florists, DIYers, and custom mum-makers, homecoming mums are a multi-million dollar industry in Texas. And remember… Texas-style mums continue to migrate into other states. So yeah. BIG.

When it comes to individuals, the answers are as different as the students themselves. For some students in Texas, especially seniors, homecoming mums are a very big deal and so they opt for the largest and/or the most popular styles. Others prefer an unconventional approach to their mum size, theme, and design. Some students watch from the metaphorical sidelines, either because they don’t understand homecoming or the mum tradition, they don’t like it, they’re indifferent to it, they think they have to have a date to wear a mum, or their budgets don’t allow them to participate (which is too bad, because upcycling is a thing). And I know this might come as a shock: some students, especially those whose families moved from other states or countries, have never heard of mums until they see their first one, riding through the halls of their school on homecoming day.

Shameless Plug for MUMENTOUS

If you enjoyed reading this, you might enjoy my book, Mumentous: Original Photos and Mostly-True Stories about Football, Glue Guns, Moms, and a Supersized High School Tradition that was Born Deep in the Heart of Texas.

You don’t have to take it from me. I have loads of independent reviews like this one scattered throughout my website:

“Aside from my own experiences with mums, this book scratched an itch that is very particular to me (it might be to you too, but I digress) - I absolutely love works that show the passion or obsession we have with places, things, or events. Where there is passion, there is a deep dive into something I didn't even know I wanted to know.”— Celia, Book Fidelity