Pittsburgh and traditions just go-hand-in hand. We wave the Terrible Towel to cheer the Steelers on. Spend summer evenings at church festivals. And, gather around the cookie table at wedding receptions. The Pittsburgh cookie table tradition, a long-treasured presence at wedding receptions, has now become popular at other social events hosted by Pittsburghers. But, do you know the story behind this long-held Pittsburgh tradition?

The Pittsburgh cookie table, a Southwestern Pennsylvania tradition, is said to have started during the Great Depression.

The decade long depression lasted from 1929 to 1939. Like others worldwide, Pittsburghers struggled to survive day-to-day with the lack of funds and food in the household.

Still, life went on. Couples married, often celebrating with a reception after the wedding ceremony.

However, many Pittsburghers simply could not afford a wedding cake for the reception. Sugar was one of the priciest edible goods, as was butter, both of which we all know you need a ton of to make a great cake!

Instead, as legend goes, the mother of the bride baked cookies for the guests. (It was, according to tradition, the bride's parents who were responsible for the cost of the wedding.)

Together with other female family members - grandmothers, aunts, and sisters - the mother of the bride would lovingly bake batches of different types of cookies for the wedding reception. With the duties of baking split up between family members, the cost of desserts was lowered and it allowed the guests to participate in helping to make the wedding an enjoyable affair.

The cookie table, tradition says, represents love. Each batch of cookies is made by the bride's loved ones.

And, those same loved ones hope for long-lasting love between the bride and the groom.

By the time Pittsburgh recovered from the Great Depression, the cookie table had become a treasured tradition in both Pittsburgh and throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

Today, the cookie table remains the centerpiece of any wedding reception that features a Pittsburgh bride or groom.

Isn't the Pittsburgh cookie table's history fascinating? What is your favorite memory of the Pittsburgh cookie table? Did you have a Pittsburgh cookie table wedding, and if so how did you style it? We are obsessed with this Pennsylvania tradition and would love to know more about how you partake it it!

Another fun Pennsylvania tradition to learn more about is the New Years day drops. Instead of a ball, cities all across the state drop different items that correlate to what their city or town is known for. Hershey drops a chocolate kiss, Mechanicsburg drops a wrench, and wouldn't ya know it? Dillburg drops a dapper pickle!