While walking through the halls, the sound of small bells ringing and the swishing of ribbons can be heard above all the hustle and bustle of students making their way to their next class. It’s these sounds that signify mum season.

The appeal is obvious, since everyone likes big, shiny, useless things. Especially in Texas, where bigger is better. Mums, however, are probably the most ridiculous high school tradition thus far.

While it’s possible to find inexpensive mums, I’ve yet to meet a person who wanted to buy a mum that wasn’t completely decked out to the nines with all the little bells and whistles. I’ve been there and have spent about a $100 on a mum my freshman year, but that mistake will not be made again.

Mums serve no purpose other than to show off. One could argue that it serves as a form of self expression, or art, or a symbol of love if your homecoming date bought it for you. But, so are a lot of things. An new outfit, an actual piece of artwork, a gift card to your favorite restaurant can all be considered one of those things, and I’d much rather have those than a mum. At that rate, I’d rather be gifted a packet of gum than a waste of ribbon that’s shoved in the back of my closet until it’s inevitably thrown away.

Mums are basically just another display of how much money a person has to waste. At least when a person shows off with the clothing or car they buy, they’re spending their money on something that they can actually serve a purpose beyond one day, even if it was purchased with more vain intentions. Those material items serve a purpose beyond fleeting pleasure and a temporary boost in self-esteem.

Mums seem great for the hour you wear them before it starts to get inconvenient to carry and too heavy or itchy to wear, but if you want to actually enjoy and get use out of something you buy, take your money elsewhere.