TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . ABOUT US . CONTACT . CHAT  
Bomis   Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Homecoming traditions

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2004 Nov. - 2005 Jan.: Homecoming traditions users admin

Author Message
Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 7:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I was emailing a friend in Oregon talking about my day and saying that I was getting together with some moms to make our kids' dates' homecoming mums and she didn't know what I was talking about.
Got me to thinking..
Is this just a 'suthern thang'?
What did you do or do your kids do for high school homecoming?

Here, two day date. The game on Friday and then the dance on Saturday. They were their mums (for girls)or garters (boys) both days.
Back in my day the dance was right after the game are you wore your 'good' jeans to the game. One of the reasons why the dance is the next day is so the girls can spend all day getting ready! LOL
Short dress and sports coats are the attire.

Here are some pics of the mums and garters...btw, wish me luck with making this thing! LOL

http://www.mumsandgarters.com/pictures.htm

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 8:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
wow that's crazy Texannie! I would never agree to wearing one of those! In high school, I believe the dance was on a different day from the game. A lot of alumni came to the game and it was a blast. The dance was only for current students and it was a semi formal. That was in Northern VA.

In college, it was also a semi formal and it was on the same day as the game. The game was in the afternoon on a Saturday and the dance was in the evening and alum came to both events. That was in Southeastern PA.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 8:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
They love them..the gawdier the better! LOL
When I was in high school, they were real flowers (now they are ribbons to last), but only homecoming queens, drill team and cheer leaders got them. I college it was sort of the same. I never had one. It became a joke by my senior year that I was "mum deprived". I was a fraternity little sister and I they got me a really gawdy one my senior year! LOL

Zachsmom
Moderator

07-13-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 9:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Texannie, I think they're kind of cute. But then I like boa's so go figure.

For the life of me I don't remember what we did on homecoming. I know that the dance was the same night as the game, but I don't remember anything special. It might have been ribbons. I remember you could buy someone carnations and those were delivered to your homeroom class. But we did that most time when there was a game..I think..LOL

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 9:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
At our homecoming, we had the football or basketball game one night and then the following night was the homecoming dance. I don't remember it being formal. I just remember homecoming dance being a big deal, especially if our teams were doing well!

Tishala
Member

08-01-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 9:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I went to a Quaker High School ["Upper School" they called it] in Philadelphia where we had the following sports: soccer, field hockey, and cross country. This didn't provide much opportunity for a homecoming celebration, a fact that is certainly a mitzvah for anyone who can envision me on a two-day date. Just thinking of it makes me pity the poor boy foolish enough to ask me.

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 10:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well, boy howdy, that is the durndest tradition I done ever seen!!!! LOL

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 10:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
So, it appears this is a suthern thang! LOL


Zach, I like the gawdiness of them too! LOL

Moondance
Member

07-30-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 10:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I grew up in Tennessee and Arkansas and I have never seen anything like this LOL

We had homecoming Mums but it was a small Mum with FHS (purple piping) on it... I was homecoming queen/court so I feel gypped!!!!!

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 10:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Texannie I'm sure if it was part of the tradition where I was I would have gotten into it. . .but in hind sight I'm glad that I didn't :-) I was trying to remember what we did in RI when I lived there and I don't think there was anything special there either. . .another thing we didn't do was beach week after graduating. . . but that's probably because the whole state is a beach :-) Now I feel deprived. . .

Smrtass
Member

07-07-2004

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 11:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Back (way back) in the day, we had the Homecoming dance on the same night as the football game, and the girls received real flower corsages from their dates for the dance, while the boys were given boutonnieres. Mums were a popular corsage (not anything as big and elaborate as yours, Texannie), but you felt really special if your date bought you an orchid or, my favorite, sweetheart roses.

I'm from the deep south, btw.

Grannyg
Member

05-28-2002

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 11:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
MsMoonie, That's what we did. Just plain ole mums with FHS and little footballs on them. Dance was after the game in the gym. The cheerleaders were in charge of decorations and since I was a cheerleader and we had to wear our uniforms, so no cute little outfits for me! It was the only night we got to stay out until midnight! whee!!!!!!!!!

Beachcomber
Member

08-26-2003

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 11:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Tex, maybe that is a Texas thing where things are always bigger and better!

In SC, we had the plain mums with NWHS in purple piping. I still have my plaid wool floor-length skirt that my mother made and blue velvet blazer and vest that I wore in the homecoming court!

Has anyone else saved their old prom/homecoming dresses? My mother made us save them all because she spent hours and hours making them.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 11:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We Northerners have never seen anything remotely like this! LOL Depending on the school, it can be a one or two day affair, although I think many have moved the dance to Sat. night (the day after our Friday night football games). We have "semi-formal" attire (which means no jeans), and the guys and gals just get each other boutonnieres and corsages. We have even "downgraded" floats because of the difficulty of 1) supervising their construction off campus and 2) the lack of time students have to work on them. Now we decorate golf carts (which still go in the parade and are still judged) and added "banners" (those huge kind it takes four people to carry) that each class creates as well. Lots of fun, the carts and banners are all done in one six-hour session, and then we have a bon-fire afterwards.

Spygirl
Moderator

04-23-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 1:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm a Texas girl and not only did we do that when I was in school, but they most definitely still do it now. I remember a couple of my mums costing my bf at least $100!

Homecoming is a week-long experience. The student council has a week of "themes". One day you wear t-shirts and all day long you all sign each other's shirts. One day is hat day, etc etc. On Thursday night, there is a city-wide bonfire peprally. They do this HUGE bon fire, the cheerleaders cheer, the band plays, the fire department watches. Fun small town stuff. :-)

On Friday, everyone wears their mums and garters to school. The football players wear their jerseys and the cheerleaders wear their cheerleading skirts, and all the student organizations have special t-shirts they make or have made to wear. Regardless, everyone wears the school colors. After school (though I think it ends early), there is a huge city-wide parade with tons of decorated floats, the jr. high and high school bands, choirs, all student organizations, all football players from pee-wee up through high school...everyone participates. After that is the big football game followed by a dance for the high schoolers. At the game, during halftime is where they crown the Homecoming Queen selected from 4 high school seniors who were elected to the court by the entire student body. All 4 sit on the track during the game, dressed in formal attire, one is literally crowned at halftime.

Saturday morning is a big deal, too. The entire center of the town is blocked off for a city-wide carnival-type thing. There are booths, tons of food, talent stuff like bands/choirs/dance performances, give-aways, face painting, shopping, etc. It goes all day and then sometime Saturday night (I think) is an alumni reunion dinner where they honor past graduates and those who have graduated in years ending in the same number as the current year (like this year it was all xxx4 graduates - 1994, 1984, 1974, and so on).

Yeah, homecoming is a huge deal. :-)

Wow. Even typing that creates a lot of nostalgia for me.


Egbok
Member

07-13-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 1:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'll speak to the Los Angeles area Homecomings. No Mums or Garters here. I've never heard of them but they look adorable!!

In my day, we wore our formalwear at the game, crowning and sash placement took place at halftime, bouquet of roses for everyone but the queen's was larger than the princesses. The queen and her court were place in cool classic convertables and slowly driven around the track/football field, waving the traditional "elbow-elbow-wrist-wrist".

Thanks for the memories!!


Bookworm
Member

12-18-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 2:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Here in smalltown Iowa...

Homecoming is a weeklong event. Student Council is in charge of planning and organizing it. There are theme days where students and teachers at the High School/Jr. High dress up (pajama day, 60s day, etc).

Thursday night was boom night. Each class performed a skit spoofing classmates and teachers, similar to Saturday Night Live. This has since been changed--no one is allowed to make fun of anyone else. This was followed by the bonfire, which I remember in my youth as a large pile of cardboard boxes. By the time I was in high school it was the opponent's letters made of chickewire and paper napkins hung from the practice field's goal post.

Friday afternoon was coronation in the gym. This was formal attire. The girls on court wore velvet dresses and boys on court wore tuxes. During my high school years tradition changed. It used to be only senior boys on the football team could be on court and any senior girl (six girls, six boys) but it is now open to any senior boy or girl. Following coronation was the Homecoming parade. Every organization in Jr. Sr. High was invited to join in the parade. There were 6 convertibles that carried the members of the court. All of the elementary classes would walk up to the town square. Most of the town would see the new king/queen at the parade.

Our football game was Friday night and the dance following. The court was introduced at halftime and walked onto the field. The girls on the court wore their dresses dance others just wore whatever they wore to the game. The football players took a quick shower in the locker room and then joined the dance. Alumni were welcome to the dance.

Usually some organization (I think cheerleaders)used mum sales as a fundraiser. But the mums were about the size of a saucer with some ribbons. These could be bought by family, boyfriends, etc. Some girls would have several mums. The mums were delivered Friday morning to the school and dispersed during the morning.

Spy and I are the same age, graduating in 1993. I don't think there have been many changes in tradition in my town since then.

Mak1
Member

08-12-2002

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 3:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We never had homecoming. :-( A couple nearby towns have them, but I think it's a new tradition for them. I haven't attended, but I can assure you nobody has mums at any northern Maine homecoming. I'm probably one of the few who have ever seen a mum, and that was just today in this thread, lol. Wow, those are....well...I just can't think of a word for them! They're certainly creative, and they look heavy to wear!

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 4:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I think it's safe to assume, Mak, that none of Maine has ever seen the likes of those kinds of mums, er, not that they aren't awful pretty, though! Isn't it fun to learn about other states' traditions? I sure think so!

Mak1
Member

08-12-2002

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 4:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yes, Vee, I think so too. Look what we've all been missing out on! It sounds so exciting, and the mums really add to the fun.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 5:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We do the "dress up" days all week long here, too. Tomorrow is PJ day -- WOOHOO! Comfy pants and a huge t=shirt for this gal. I think we also have "clash day," "famous person day," "favorite decade day" and of course...homecoming day is Purple and White day for all kids except seniors - they wear togas. If you can handle squirrely, jazzed up HS kids for a week - it can be a lot of fun!! LOL

Reader234
Member

08-13-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 5:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL - OK small town Indiana memories here-

We decorate the school, the town in school colors for the week, we dress in "spirit wear" too... (the student council each class has charge of a window to 'paint' my Freshman year I was on student council, and was given the wrong paint - I have pictures of us w/ razor blades taking that paint off LOL)

Friday convo screaming yelling, teachers dress up weird etc... The student council fundraiser is selling the Large football mums - just one bloom (think the size of a hydragia) with our school colors as a ribbon - guys in garters, I THINK NOT!! (lol! I love that, its cute Texannie, thans for starting the thread!!)

Saturday is our dance too, all day - and we had 'nose gays' not wrist corsages!! (and wore long dresses, mine was purple velvet on top A line, and a satiny skirt in that royal purple)

DS is going to homecoming, he decked out the car in a sign to ask his date, and they will go out to eat on Sat before dinner, she will have a rose wrist corsage, he will have a rose boutenirre (sp?) they will go from 8 - 11pm, and pictures there.... Some do get more eleborate to ask their dates - more so for prom tho...

Zachsmom
Moderator

07-13-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 6:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I like this thread. Thanks Texannie for starting it. I like your mums

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 6:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
From SoCal... no mums down here either. Most of the actual homecoming events took place similar to Egbok's description. Although I seem to remember some years that the upperclassmen had "theme weeks". The only "mums" worn were if they were part of a bouquet (held by the court) or corsage or boutonniere (worn by your date). The type of corsage a girl wore depended on her dress. If it was a strapless dress, obviously, she got a wrist corsage!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 8:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Love all these memories!!
Well, I finished it. It took about 2 hours. It's really cool in a gawdy, flashy sort of way! LOL
DS said "wow, that's really big."
Think ds will take his date to the hamburger place down the street from the stadium on Friday night (Beck's Prime, ya'll have those? yum!) Then they can walk to the stadium or we will drive, not sure.
Then Saturday night, several mom are going to host a dinner party for them at one of the houses. I just couldn't see going to a fancy restaurant. These kids are just 14 and 15, this is their first dance and or date...what will there be to look forward to when they get to be seniors.

Zachsmom
Moderator

07-13-2000

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 8:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Picture of it Texannie?

Really, I like them..lol..if they were pink I would be begging for you to send one to me..

Bigd
Member

09-13-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 9:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I thought the best part of homecoming was the "dress party" we always had about a month before homecoming. It's where about 20 girls would get together and bring their dresses from previous events and we would switch and share. It saved allot of money to recycle.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 9:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I will have to take some. I have become quite attached, not sure I will let this girl have it! LOL

Great idea, bigD!!!

Sherbabe
Member

07-28-2002

Monday, October 18, 2004 - 9:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Tex, almost 1 yr ago I started a thread on this exact subject. My friend lives in TX and her daughter's room is filled w/ them. I thought they were a nice tradition. I'm originally from Mich, and have never seen them before.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 4:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Shoot..my pic of the the mum and me is too big!