Traditions morph throughout years

School is back in session in Cy-Fair ISD, which means the district's 10 high schools are preparing for annual homecoming celebrations.

Homecoming mums—typically worn the Friday of homecoming—can be custom ordered and include anything from lights to teddy bears, but the concept was much simpler several decades ago.

Largely a Texas tradition, homecoming mums date back to the 1950s when male students would buy chrysanthemums for their dates. Some traditions have not changed, though, including the nomination of a homecoming queen.

Jersey Village High School, which opened in 1972, celebrated its first homecoming during the 1974-75 school year. The first homecoming queen was Becky Smith, but before that the school nominated football sweethearts before there was a senior class.

In the early 1970s, Jersey Village and Cy-Fair students made floats or participated in decoration contests during homecoming. A decoration titled "Flush the Mustangs" won the title of most original homecoming decoration at Jersey Village in 1974. At Cy-Fair, the celebration involved a float-decorating contest. During the 1976 homecoming, the senior class won the contest with a float called "Tiger Inn."

Today, homecoming celebrations in CFISD involve much of the same traditions, just on a bigger scale, as there are almost five times the number of high schools in the district compared to the 1970s.

Celebrations involve anything from dances to dress-up days to pep rallies and dances, but the idea behind recognizing the returning alumni remains the same.