AUSTIN — They are big, they are bold and some even have bells.
Homecoming mums are a Texas tradition and high schools across the state are celebrating football season by wearing them.
But where did this tradition come from?
According to the Mum Shop in Plano, Texas, branded online as the original mum shop, the NCAA recognizes the University of Missouri as the official place of the birth of homecoming.
History has it that a boy would give his date a chrysanthemum flower to wear to the football game here in Texas, according to the Mum Shop.
But over the years, mums have become larger than life, and some larger than people.
PHOTOS: Homecoming mums
The flower has grown in size and has become artificial.
The mums now have bells, ribbons, charms, bows and even lights that a girl wears around school and to the football game.
Boys now wear garters around their arm, which is given to him by his date.
The tradition has now expanded to neighbor states like Louisiana and Oklahoma.