15 Extraordinary Arkansas Traditions We All Hope Never Die
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J.B. VanDyke
Author
Arkansas is no stranger to tradition, and we’re hoping to pass some of those traditions down to the next generation. From the Razorbacks on down to our most beloved food traditions, here you’ll find fifteen Arkansas traditions you simply can’t deny. These traditions represent the best of Arkansas, and you’ll find yourself nodding at every one, hoping they get passed down through the ages.
Folks in the Natural State love spending time outside. It’s certainly not surprising, since we live in hands down the prettiest state, but I hope we maintain this tradition forever.
Floating down a river in a tube or a canoe or a kayak? Yes, please. Something tells me that as long as the Buffalo and the Mulberry are still pretty, we’ll always be down for that kind of adventure.
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We love to grow things here. In fact, I can’t think of very many people among my friends and family who aren’t at least growing a tomato right now.
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Toad Suck Daze is one of Arkansas’s biggest and most unique festivals. It just wouldn’t seem right if Toad Suck Daze disappeared, would it?
My hometown celebrates spinach every year and it seems like just about every other small town has a unique festival all its own. Those festivals are important to our communities. I for one can’t imagine what we’d do without them.
We might not be Kansas City or Memphis, but I’d put Arkansas barbecue up against any barbecue in the world. It’s just that good.
Look, maybe it isn’t good for you, but Arkansans make some pretty darn good biscuits and gravy, don’t we? Our methods of biscuit- and gravy-making come from our grandmothers, and they got them from their grandmothers, who, I’m assuming, probably came from their grandmothers. If that isn’t tradition, I don’t know what is.
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We might not all agree on the proper way to batter and fry meat, but most of us can reach an accord about how awesome that meat will taste once it’s golden brown and on a plate.
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We love eating food and spending time with our loved ones, so it’s no surprise we have like to combine those things into epic outdoor gatherings where we consume our weight in home cooked deliciousness.
This tradition might seem strange to outsiders, but it’s one we all hold very dear. There’s very little likelihood that we’ll give up on calling the hogs, no matter what happens.
Okay, this one might seem odd to call "extraordinary," but let me tell you Arkansans are certainly more friendly than folks from other places. That’s likely because of how small our communities are.
We’re going to hold open doors and let you go ahead of us in the grocery store line if you aren’t buying much. That’s because we were raised to be polite, and we’re trying to teach our children the same.
True story:
We started saying my mom’s parrot "speaks Arkansan" after he began to say "I reckon" and "yonder." I’m still waiting on hearing him say "since you’s knee high to a grasshopper," though.
We started saying my mom’s parrot "speaks Arkansan" after he began to say "I reckon" and "yonder." I’m still waiting on hearing him say "since you’s knee high to a grasshopper," though.
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Our traditions certainly include a good amount of outdoor time, but among our favorite ways to spend time outside are sitting in a tree stand or on a dock, hoping a shot or a hook lands.
If folks are going to say nasty things about us, we’re going to keep on saying, "Look here, honey," and proceeding to tell them the truth. We’re proud, and we’re not backing away from anyone who tries to tell us we’re less than them in any way.
For outdoor activities Arkansans always have to explain, click here. To see more about iconic Arkansas foods, read this article.
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