When it comes to school traditions, nothing in Texas compares to homecoming. Usually, there's a football game involved that the team is supposed to win. Kings and queens get crowned. There's usually a dance involved at some point, too. One of the key parts of this entire evening is the mum, and the panhandle is already getting prepared.

What The Heck Is A Homecoming Mum?

A homecoming mum is hard to describe. It's a decorative piece that the ladies wear at homecoming to show off their team spirit. Growing up in Oklahoma, we had mums that we would buy for our girlfriends. When I moved to Texas, I got a quick education in what a mum is supposed to be like. As they say, everything is bigger in Texas.

Imagine with me, if you will, wearing a giant flower that is decorated with your school colors, name, and year. That flower is surrounded by feathers, lace, or some other decoration. Dangling from the flower is everything you could get your hands on and somehow attach to it.

Mums in Texas are not just some cute little things for the girls to wear at homecoming. Some of them are full-blown monuments that stretch to the floor. It's like your high school has a pawn shop full of stuff related to your high school football team, and you found a way to make the entire inventory dangle from your shirt. It's important 'round these parts.

How Do You Get Mums For Homecoming?

If you start your search early enough, they're easy to come by. Pretty much every store you can think of will have mums in some form or fashion. If you want something really special, you get your mums from a place that specializes in just them.

For instance, there's The Mum Shack in Pampa that serves pretty much the entire Texas panhandle. They opened up for orders on July 9! Apparently, making all of those mums takes a lot of time.

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