If you've ever traveled to a different land, you know that culture shock is real and that locals can act in surprising ways. Well, we here in Massachusetts actually have quite a few of our own native customs, and they're often a bit more bizarre than we realize. Here are the top 15 strange habits people in Massachusetts have, and we wouldn't have it any other way. How many are you guilty of?
1. Buying boxes full of fried seafood and devouring everything on the spot.
Leftover fried clams? What are those?
2. We'll add an extra 15 minutes to our drive home if it means taking the street with the really good foliage.
Fall is our brief respite between sweltering heat and frigid cold. We like to enjoy it.
3. We give directions in time rather than distance.
We're more likely to tell you that something is 10 minutes away than give you the mile-by-mile details.
4. We love watching people try to shimmy down slick logs.
The Gloucester Greasy Pole competition is an integral part of Saint Peter's feast day, and involves making your way down a greased-up pole in hopes of capturing the flag at the end. It's weird but we love it.
5. We'll be sarcastic in the most friendly way.
Around these parts, just because someone is being sarcastic doesn't mean they're mean-spirited. It's likely we're just trying to make you smile.
6. We'll happily toss our dinner outside.
It gets so cold here in the winter that it's not unusual to store extra frozen food or a couple beers in our snowy backyards.
7. Nothing weird about eating your bowl here.
Clam chowder tastes best in a bread bowl. It's just science.
8. We still believe in talking to strangers.
There's nothing unusual about striking up a conversation with a friendly-looking stranger in a bar or elevator. Though we may have a reputation for having chilly demeanors, Bay Staters are really quite warm on the inside.
9. Having one favorite ice cream shop and defending its honor to the death.
No matter how good another shop's cones may be, we'll always stay loyal to our hometown joint.
10. Using, um, sign language on the road.
They don't call us "massholes" for nothing.
11. Assuming every bad driver is a tourist.
Whether you're a Cape Codder or a lifelong resident of the Berkshires, you're probably guilty of shaking your head at another car and muttering something about tourists under your breath.
12. We'd rather take our lobster on a bun than a plate.
Lobster rolls are the perfect combination of classy and casual. Fancy seafood in a grab-and-go format.
13. We ask for "regular" coffee and expect people to know what that means.
If cream and sugar is what you want, this is an easy way to get it.
14. Yes, we really do say "wicked," but...
It's not an adjective. As in, we don't say something is just plain "wicked." It's an adverb, as in "that sunset is wicked beautiful."
15. We're pretty obsessed with our beautiful state, and like to let people know every chance we get.
That's one habit we're never going to kick.
What are some other strange habits you've picked up from living in the Bay State? Let us know in the comments below!
For more Massachusetts state pride, check out these 13 ways that Massachusetts is America's black sheep.
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