Mum’s the word: Homecoming flower arrangements are a Southern tradition
As the old joke goes, everything is bigger – and better – in Texas, especially when it comes to mums, an elaborate floral decoration usually made with a fake chrysanthemum given during a high school’s homecoming football game.
High schoolers bring out the bells and boas to showcase their school pride, but more so their creativity and individuality. East View High School’s homecoming game is Friday, October 3, with Georgetown High set for October 24.
Jarrell High School already celebrated on September 19. This year, the Jarrell Community Library hosted its first-ever mum-making party.
Library Director Susan Gregurek got the idea when a student’s grandmother called the library, worried that her granddaughter, Cadence, wouldn’t be able to get a mum like other students.
Eight Jarrell High School students attended, many making mum arrangements for the first time. Senior Assia Bah designed hers in lavender instead of Jarrell’s signature blue, saying it was her favorite color.
“It’s my senior year, I have to make a mum,” Assia said at the event. “I transferred to Jarrell from a private school my freshman year. So when I came to Jarrell, I was like, ‘Wow, what is this?’ ”
Teaching about different ribbon patterns, Ms. Gregurek said the students started to open up as the event progressed.
“All of them worked as a team and came up with new ideas for each other,” she told the Sun. “It was a fun experience. We stayed [at the library] until 8:30 at night, so you know that they enjoyed working so much.”
A crafter herself, Ms. Gregurek said she made mums when her own children were in high school. She hopes to continue the event once the library moves into its new permanent location.
Cadence, a freshman at Jarrell High School, received a mum designed at the event by her older brother, Jackson, who’s a sophomore.
A mum-mentous history
The tradition traces back to the early 1900s, when the University of Missouri’s homecoming included chrysanthemum corsages. As Texas high schools grew in the 1950s and 1960s, demand for mums skyrocketed, and florists struggled to keep up.
In her book Mumentous, author and photographer Amy Schultz wrote that craft stores such as Michaels and Hobby Lobby began selling plastic chrysanthemums, allowing families to bring mum designing to their homes.
“The second I made the connection between the mum tradition and the things my mom did for us when we were kids, I saw how big the story really is, and I became a part of it,” she said in a statement.
Mums traditionally showcased the school’s main colors and were given to a student’s homecoming date. But, like all things, style and purpose have changed over time, with today’s high schoolers putting their own twist on mums.
Blossoming business
Florence resident Kailee Zak owns Little Miss Mums - Central Texas, which operates in Salado. Ms. Zak said she came up with the business idea to make handmade personalized mums in 2024.
“This year, our social media posts just kept blowing up,” she said. “People were sharing and posting on Facebook. We can’t even take all the orders that come through. like, there are too many.”
This year, she has received orders as far as Wyoming and New York.
Her 1,200-square-foot shop is run by eight women, all Ms. Zak’s family and friends. The team began their mum season in July with 400 orders. As of writing, they’ve completed 350, with prices ranging from $30 to more than $350.
With more than 100 rolls of ribbon on her wall, Ms. Zak said she designed based on some interesting themes this year, including the movies Lilo and Stitch and Minecraft.
“I think that it’s a way for kids to showcase their personality and the things that they love to do through ribbon,” she said. “It’s not school colors, it’s not school themes, it’s very specific to each individual person.
“We've made 350 mums so far, and no two are the same at all.”
To keep up with the creative demands, the team takes a trip to Dallas once a week to purchase a truckload of supplies: ribbons, bells, chrysanthemums and more.
Ms. Zak said the thing that makes her shop different from others is the customization for each mum. Coming from a graphic design background, Ms. Zak said that the specific cutouts she can do set her business apart.
“Homecoming is about the football game, but every single kid, whether involved in sports or not, is going to wear them up,” she said. “Everybody’s included on that night. Doesn't matter if they’re good at football or are cheerleaders. I think that’s a reason why they’ve gotten so big, because it includes every single person.”
A specific Little Miss Mums arrangement was picked up by a Salado parent for his stepdaughter. On the mum, a cutout of a red Cardinal is joined by a phrase saying, “I am always with you. Love Dad.”
The girl’s biological father had passed away and her mom remarried. Staff from Little Miss Mums reported the stepdad was emotional because of how special the mum was to his daughter.
For next year, Ms. Zak said she is aiming to hit $100,000 in sales and will begin her mum-making season in March. For now, she and her team are finishing the remaining mums.
“We’re tired, we’re hungry, we want to sleep and get back to normal life,” she said. “But knowing that we’re able to create moms that mean so much to people, at the end of the day, is worth it because it makes them feel good and special on homecoming.”