It's the holiday season in Waco, but I'm not talking about Christmas. I got to celebrate several fun events while I was visiting the US this time, and the visit ended up being more festive than I had expected.
Homecoming
By coincidence, my first weekend back in Texas happened to be my alma mater's homecoming!
Baylor University has always claimed to have started the tradition of homecoming, and a recent historical deep dive by ESPN confirmed that, yes, Baylor did in fact host the very first homecoming in 1909 to mark the upcoming football game against long-standing rivals the TCU Horned Frogs (whom they defeated!).
I actually didn't know that homecoming was going to be that weekend. If I had planned my visit a bit better, I may have been able to attend more events, but I wasn't about to let BU's 115th homecoming pass me by!
On the night before the big game, my parents and I went to Homecoming at the Hurd, a BU alumni event held at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, a brand-new space age-looking building which serves as both a welcome center to prospective new students as well as a hub of alumni activities.
Hole in the Roof, a local print shop (who also printed our wonderful Team Mama's Boys t-shirts), had a pop-up shop on-site printing your choice of four vintage Baylor logos on a white, green, or gold shirt. Mom, Dad, and I each got a vintage BU shirt to wear to the next morning's parade.
The reason that there is some debate as to who invented the idea of homecoming is because originally, it was a one-time thing. In 1911, Mizzou held a homecoming game in which they invited all alumni to attend, making it technically the longest-running homecoming tradition. BU held homecoming again in 1915, and it officially became an annual event in 1934.
Since then, the tradition of homecoming has spread to universities and high schools across the country, but nobody does it quite like Baylor. With traditions beyond the big game - alumni Dr Pepper hour, the BU bonfire, Mass Meeting, Pigskin Revue, Extravaganza, Tailgate, and, of course, the world-famous Baylor University Homecoming Parade, a tradition which dates back to the very beginning in 1909.
We woke up early, filled our thermoses with coffee, picked up a box of sausage kolaches from Cougar Donut, then headed out to downtown around sunrise to set up our camp chairs for the parade.
We chose a spot on the eastern side of the street just across from the ALICO building, the second skyscraper in Texas (built in 1911), the oldest skyscraper still standing in Texas, and Waco's most prominent landmark.
It rivaled Arlington's Independence Day parade in every way, and I was especially impressed to see how it brought the community together - it wasn't just a Baylor parade, but a Waco parade.
Bruiser has been a BU institution since way before I attended, but Marigold is new (to me), and I'm happy to see a female mascot represent the school equally. After all, it's Baylor's women's basketball team - more than the men's basketball or even football team - which has been winning the awards of late.
I remember getting up around midnight, chugging a 5-hour energy, and making my way downtown to put on my white gloves and grab hold of Bruiser's ropes.
Nowadays, Bruiser is not the only balloon, but he is the most notable. Another balloon honors the Baylor Line, the traditional freshman charge across the football field whilst wearing their signature golden jerseys.
The parade was great. It featured not only Baylor institutions, but groups and organizations from across Waco as well.
Halloween
One of my main goals for visiting Waco was to hit up the closest Bucc-ees'. One day, my mom and I drove down to Temple, Texas to buy Halloween shirts for the fam.
This year's signature shirt at the world's best truck stop was a purple glow-in-the-dark shirt with the words "Hey Boo" on the front and featuring a haunted house marked by a sign saying "Boo-cees" on the back.
Of course we bought shirts for everyone in the family to wear.
Halfway across the world, my little guy, Cricket, donned his Halloween costume (a Pac-Man ghost, if you couldn't tell!), and posed for his holiday photos.
This was my very first time since leaving America to celebrate Halloween, but it is not my first time to celebrate on this blog! Check out a few of my favorite Halloweens abroad:
Clifton is not able to put his hat on, but he did the best that he could.
Día de Muertos
November 1st is All Saint's Day, also known as Día de Muertos, or "The Day of the Dead" in Spanish. Día de Muertos is a popular holiday in Texas, celebrated with vibrant festivities, family gatherings, and community events to honor loved ones who have passed away. Texas, of course, was once a part of Mexico, and the rich culture of its past carries on to today.
On the first of November, my dad and I drove to downtown Waco to check out the city's Day of the Dead festivities.
Orange-gold monarch butterflies are a symbol of life, death, and rebirth in Mexican culture. Every year, monarch butterflies migrate from North America to Mexico, arriving in the highlands of Michoacán and nearby regions around late October and early November. This migration aligns closely with Día de los Muertos. For many indigenous communities, the monarchs are seen as the souls of departed loved ones returning to visit their families.
Even the local library got involved, decorating their van as an "ofrenda," or traditional altar, to honor loved ones who have passed away. The van was adorned with colorful papel picado, marigold flowers, and streamers.
Happy Homecoming, Halloween, and Día de Muertos!
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