Homecoming Texas Style

I only recently learned that Homecoming is different depending on what part of the country you are from. Being a Texas girl, I've only experienced it Texas-style.

Homecoming typically centers around football and is a two day event: the game on Friday night and the dance on Saturday. Saturday night, it is pretty common to see high school students dressed up with corsages, etc. in restaurants like Applebees and Olive Garden (because that is what a high school budget will accommodate) before going to the dance.

I believe the original idea of the Homecoming Game was for alumni return to see old friends and cheer their team on, but now, it is almost as big a deal as prom with some parents springing for limosines to take their kids to the dance. (You can probably guess that Bethany went in a car.)

One of the "big deals" about homecoming is the mum--which I only learned recently is strictly a Texas thing. This is a huge flower with a zillion ribbons attached. The price is completely out of control with florists charging between $80 and $150 each. One of Beth's friend's moms taught her how to make one, but the price was still about $50 by the time they purchased all of the stuff. (My friend, Nancy-the-Insightful who grew up in New Jersey said her boys were completely out of luck when it came to the whole homecoming event because she hadn't been taught mum-making skills.)

Some have completely lost the plot and purchase mums that are larger than the girl that will be wearing them. Seriously. When Chase was in high school I saw a girl with three mums creating the base and so many ribbons. I was worried she would tip over. A couple of the girls wear two or three.

When I was in high school, I'm embarassed to say, we actually taped the bells (did I mentioned there are bells on the ribbons?) so they wouldn't ring and wore them to church on homecoming weekend. (Alas, I'm a product of my environment...sigh.)

Beth is going to two different Homecomings this year. She went to her own with all of her basketball friends, and is going to another this weekend at her old school district with her buddy, Jeff, as his date. A lot of her friends from middle school will be there so it is a bit of a reunion for her, and luckily, I really like Jeff.