13 Things Minnesotans Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
All in all, Minnesotans aren’t known to get too crazy. Sure, we get a little wild now and then when our teams win or when the sun finally comes out. But doesn’t everyone? However, there are also a few things Minnesotans do that are pretty out of the ordinary. Here are 13 things Minnesotans do that probably seem just a little insane to out-of-towners.
Drive past any Minnesota lake in winter, and you'll see what looks like a city on ice. Cars and trucks drive out to their respective ice houses, and Minnesotans indulge in one of their favorite activities - on ice.
In Minnesota, winter isn't so much a season as it is a way of life. Where other places might shut down when the mercury dips below freezing, Minnesotans just add another layer.
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The hourlong goodbye is an unspoken tradition that immediately identifies you as a Minnesotan. It starts inside, then goes to the door, and then the driveway. After that, you keep talking through the car window. Get in your last few words as you start pulling away, and keep waving until your friend is out of sight. That's the Minnesota Goodbye. Crazy? Maybe, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
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Those not from Minnesota will never realize what an honor it is to have your face carved from butter, nor what a joy it is to make your visit to the year's butter masterpiece at the state fair.
Speaking of the state fair, is a trip really complete without a cookie bucket from Sweet Martha's? Seeing someone walk around with a bucket piled high with the delicious cookies is just another day at the fair.
Go ahead, explain what lutefisk is to someone who lives in another state. But don't expect anything other than a look of horror.
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At long last, Minnesotan lawmakers have voted in the right to buy alcohol within state lines on a Sunday. Soon, the only reason we'll be crossing the border on a Sunday afternoon is for some fresh cheese curds. But really, we can get plenty of great cheese here, too. See ya, Wisconsin.
When the snow is just too deep for a simple window scraper, a true Minnesotan knows that the best tool for the job is a broom. They're long, easily obtained, and pretty much the same as a window brush anyway. Someone else might look at you funny for having a broom in your backseat, but a Minnesotan? They'll know.
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Not to mention "Uff-da." These expressions are pretty commonplace in Minnesota, but say them elsewhere and you might cause some head-scratching.
Walking behind Minnehaha falls is known to be unsafe - and not exactly legal. But plenty of people do it every year, and it's really no wonder considering how beautiful the frozen falls are. Out-of-towners who haven't seen the beauty of Minnehaha in person will never understand why Minnesotans take part in this yearly ritual.
Of course, Minnesotans know we're in the minority on this one. But that won't stop us from calling the game by its proper name. Gray duck for life.
If you have no idea what booya is, you probably haven't spent a lot of time in the Upper Midwest. This tasty stew is usually made in a huge kettle to serve hundreds of people. Booya dinners are a classic event in small towns across Minnesota. But tell someone from another state you're having booya and they'll probably have no idea what you mean.
The polar plunge is a winter event commonly used to raise money for charity. Participants jump into frozen water for the most frigid dip of their lives. It's all in good fun, but if you're not from here, it definitely sounds a little crazy.
We Minnesotans are game for most things, but there are a few exceptions – like these 13 things no self-respecting things Minnesotans would never do.
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