Hi everyone! I hope your weekend is going well! I apologize I haven’t been around in four days! Things were pretty hectic this week at my day job and life in general. I’m sure things will calm down and get better this week.
It’s currently the high school and college homecoming season here in El Paso and Texas…maybe even in several other parts of the U.S. Homecoming is a pretty big deal here, especially for thousands of high school seniors. One of the biggest traditions in El Paso is attending a homecoming event like a homecoming dance, pep rally and/or football game. This is also the time when alumni return to their high school (alma mater) to visit the campus and/or homecoming football game. It’s a way to show school spirit. Several high school couples who attend the festivities wear a homecoming mum or garter to school and/or their football game. A homecoming mum is for females and a garter is for males. The mum and garter are typically created to represent the couple’s likes, interests and hobbies. I thought most schools in the U.S. wore these during homecoming…however this only happens in Texas. According to a recent story in the El Paso Times, the tradition originated at the University of Missouri in 1911. The original mums contained real chrysanthemum. Years later, artificial mums were used.
I had the opportunity to attend my senior homecoming dance with an ex-boyfriend back in 1999. The dance took place inside of my high school. I haven’t been able to find the photos but I know they’re somewhere! I remember my parents took photos of us. Unfortunately, my homecoming mum was misplaced some years back 😦 Seniors wear white homecoming mums and garters while underclassmen wear other school colors. The mums and garters range in price from $10 to over $100 depending on the size of them. Some mums even play music and include lights! Most of them have small bells, stuffed animals and of course lots of ribbon. Did/Do you participate in any homecoming festivities? If so, what was your experience like? If you’re from another country, do you have any similar traditions? Feel free to leave comments!
Life of an El Paso Woman 
I didn’t participate in any school spirit stuff. Was never my thing. But I know most students consider homecoming an important social convention.
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🙂 Thanks Gwin!
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I know right?! I had two uncles that lived in Texas.
Also got plenty of friends from “The Lone Star” state. Y’all got some cool peeps over there 🙂
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Yup! Everything’s bigger in Texas! Lol. It’s not just a cliché.
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It looks like a Texas thing! Y’all do it big over there 🙂
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Lol. I think it’s only a Texas thing but I could be wrong too.
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But then again, I was homecoming 30 years ago! LOL!!!
Maybe they like it here now..LOL!!!!!
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Ohh yea I remember the pics now! That’s really cool! The girls go crazy for mums here! Lol.
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Yep! I sure was. I talked about it in “My Jams.” I posted a few pics too.
No, I am not familiar with this tradition 🙂
but it is very interesting 😉
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Wow you were a homecoming queen?? Had you heard of this tradition??
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Girl you know I gotta LIKE this one! I love the pics 🙂
As a former Homecoming Queen from the days of yore, I love this time of year.
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Aww thanks Mack! That’s so sweet that you ended up with your high school sweetheart 😍 Thank you for checking it out!
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Awww, I love this time of year!! Homecoming football games and the surrounding time bring back good memories. DJ was on homecoming court in high school and I remember we went to the homecoming dance together that year- back in 2011! So special. I loved reading about the tradition you have in El Paso. Thanks for sharing!
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