Mumorial Season

With Memorial High School's Homecoming just around the corner (Oct. 26), students are buzzing with excitement. Signs are being made, students are asking each other, and a big Texas tradition is being made. Mums and garters, a Texas tradition. 

If you do not know what a mum or garter is, it is a flower (a chrysanthemum) with ribbons and other items pouring down. Over the past several decades, Mums have continuously grown more elaborate and popular in the state. Mums have even started showing up in neighboring states, such as Louisiana and Oklahoma. 

At many schools, students can buy mums and garters from local flower shops, or students can even make them on their own. At Memorial, this is also an option, but most students opt to support their dance team, which makes the mums and garters as a fundraising opportunity. The Memorial Markettes spend countless hours making hundreds of mums and garters for students to wear. So far this year, the Markettes have sold 400 mums and garters.

Memorial High School Mum from 2017 Homecoming, made by the Memorial Markettes. 

The Markettes spend several hours in the weeks leading up to homecoming to make sure every mum and garter is perfect.

"We buy the flower pre-made, and then we attach ribbons and other trinkets to the mum/garter," senior Noelle Svoboda said. The Markettes add on teddy bears and charms, about the boy/girl's activities they participate in.

While all the girls make the mums/garters, they "talk about school and life and listen to music," senior Madeline Klam said. The profit that the Marketttes make on mums and garters goes towards, competitions, costumes, props, and much more. 

In the end, Memorial ends up with beautiful pieces that they get to wear to the big homecoming football game. Madeline and Noelle said their favorite part about making the mums/garters is "seeing everyone wear them at the game." Memorial students end up with a piece that they'll get to keep for a lifetime, allowing them to look back on their high school years.