It’s Homecoming! Walking through the halls on Friday, people will be wearing extravagant fake flowers made with glitter, lights, and stuffed mascots, with ribbons, braids, and bells trickling down. It’s the staple of a Homecoming date, but why?

Mums were first worn in Missouri, which held the first-ever homecoming football game in 1911. The mums started as just a flower but slowly became decorated over time. The name “mum” comes from the flower’s name that was used as the centerpiece, a chrysanthemum, and the name “garter” for the male counterpart, comes from how the flower is worn, by a strap garter on the arm.

Mums and garters were first seen in Texas in the 1930s, which caused them to become widely popular due to Texas’ tendency to go bigger and better. They slowly became bigger and flashier throughout the years and grew into a Texan tradition. In the ’90s they reached the glamor and extravagance you see today, and since then the idea has been the bigger the mum, the better.

The origins of how the idea was started and why is largely obscure. They started as a singular flower but have grown into regal bouquets with ribbons flowing to the floor and trinkets clanking amongst themselves. You used to wear the mum, but now they are so big that the mum wears you!

But regardless of how it happened, these are truly a staple of Homecoming tradition and a rite of passage for all high school students.