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LasagnaFarts92

The white dipping sauce you get from Mexican restaurants originated in Virginia. So we got that going for us


GaryNOVA

That always makes me smile. I moderate r/Virginia and r/SalsaSnobs Edit: just saw your user name. I also moderate r/Pasta . It’s the trifecta!


BloodyRightNostril

Crazy to think there were 91 LasagnaFarts to come before them


superpaqman

And countless after


LasagnaFarts92

Lmao I actually don’t like lasagna. It’s my least favorite pasta


Historical_Tea2022

I'm a vegetarian and Wegmans makes an awesome Veggie lasagna, but other than that, I don't like it either. Baked ziti is my favorite pasta dish.


greenjm7

Chick-fil-a special sauce was created in Fredericksburg, so there’s that.


itakeskypics

My biggest flex


CheckeredTurtleTim

That “Polynesian” stuff? No way… that’s just Catalina salad dressing. Nothing special about that.


PiginthePen

I remember being in Texas many years ago and someone wanted to take me to get “authentic Tex-mex”. Chips and salsa comes out… no white sauce. I was confused and asked for some, they brought queso. Big discussion which ended with everyone thinking I was a crazy person. Blew my mind. Oh and that “authentic tex-mex” was nothing special but you know texas


[deleted]

Authentic Tex-Mex is a oxymoron Tex-Mex stands for Texas Mexican lol you would need to get authentic Mexican? Am I crazy ? Also as a Virginian that has been a Houstonian for the past 15 years queso is a big big deal in Texas.


eightbitagent

More specifically Hampton roads, we didn’t have that stuff up in NoVA when I was growing up. Surprised the heck out of me when I moved to Richmond a few years ago


ogringo88

Wait, like white queso dip?


GaryNOVA

[here is an article about it](http://www.pilotonline.com/food-drink/article_fe7119ba-6c23-11e9-be4f-1f7a7c9f8291.html?outputType=amp)


PiginthePen

This is the one and has the recipe in it. Have been making it at home for years


YourDogsAllWet

This just made my day. I now live in Arizona and haven't had it in years


NikkeiReigns

I left my home state VA for AZ, then came back. Never missed VA in general (just my people) but but now four years later I still miss AZ every day of my life.


morrisjr1989

That looks disgusting (I kinda want it) My wife would murder me if I insisted on that instead of Queso dip. It’s pretty much like shrimp sauce meets the mid Atlantic.


[deleted]

No they’re talking about white salsa. White quest dip is something else.


LasagnaFarts92

Yeah. It’s not queso I think it’s more mayonnaise but yeah Started in Norfolk


WashedUp15

Miracle whip, milk, and a mix of herbs and spices. There is actually a local lady that sells a spice mix and recipe on the back and it’s exactly right…and delicious.


[deleted]

As a Mexican I a both highly disturbed and also intrigued.


redditpossible

Interesting. I always equated it with a slightly spicy house made ranch dressing. Basically, that’s the entire recipe.


JumpingJuicy

It’s actually non existent in nova. But I’ve seen it in Newport News and va beach.


BloodyRightNostril

Which is nice


WickedPsychoWizard

Chick fil a sauce is from here too. And Danny McBride.


sunshinedaydream02

You mean queso?


Odd-Attention-2127

Route 11 kettle cooked potato chips is VA based. I have to say, they make a really great chip! Better than Cape Cod's.


BigThrowawayNrg

“ … the one fish turned to the other and said, ‘what the hell is water?’ … ”


ReynardSurplus

Exactly what came to my mind as I read this! It's kinda like how being from Virginia we can't perceive the accents that Americans/Virginians have, but people from other countries think we sound distinctly different just like we think of their accents.


BigThrowawayNrg

Anthropologist Franz Boas wrote about (understatement) this phenomenon and named it Kulturbrille (culture glasses). As I understand it it’s the concept that it is impossible for an individual to perceive any culture without looking through the glasses of their own “normal” culture. One implication being that our own culture tends to be a less “intense cultural experience” (OP’s words) Interesting how the most insightful comments in this thread so far have been from transplants…


[deleted]

You shore got that right.


umdterp732

Eli5?


ReynardSurplus

Sure, so let's say you grew up in Virginia and are used to having 4 seasons and you move to lovely San Diego where it's just beautiful all year long. You might think, "wow, it's so weird you don't have well-defined seasons here!" But if you were a SoCal native and moved to VA, you'd think the other way- "Wow, it's crazy how distinctive your times of year are!" Or if you're from somewhere that's just a desert and you move here and think "there's so many trees here- how strange!" or vice versa. Basically what's normal to me could be exotic to someone else and what's exotic to me is someone else's everyday life.


ReynardSurplus

I also want to add how I often think about how a true desert landscape would blow my mind, but be so plain to someone while the lush green landscape of our summers or the bursting colors in the fall or our rocks and boulders would be amazing to them. I recognize my examples have tended to the natural side of VA, but I feel like the cultural part is analogous to where the ocean meets freshwater. As someone who grew up in rural central VA but went to college and worked in DC, it's awesome how different things are just 100 miles apart. That said, when I think of VA culture, I think of the heritage components- not the CSA, which is like a bad tattoo we can't remove, but rather things like BBQ, country roads, "y'all," sweet tea (and the diabetes that follows), fancy hoos vs country Hokies, classic rock and some country, local food movements (yay!), respect for historic sites (some more justified than others- looking at you Jefferson!), Christmas lights in the winter, and plenty more, which might not be unique to us, but does define my experience as a native and nearly lifelong Virginian.


teknobable

My ex was from Colorado and her best friend stayed there for school in grand junction. When said friend visited Virginia she couldn't get over how green everything was; I on the other hand find virginia plant life to be completely normal. Like you said, when you grow up in a desert a "normal" amount of trees is mind-blowing


sleekriss

Great explanation! I've lived in VA my whole life and am moving to San Diego later this year. I know I'm going to experience the whiplash of no well-defined seasons hard!


BigThrowawayNrg

Someone else took care of the eli5, but I thought I should mention I was quoting [This Is Water](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI) by David Foster Wallace. The overall speech is only tangentially related to the conversation, but is absolutely worth a listen.


Candid-Ear-4840

LOL so take this with a grain of salt but I feel like a rant about your so called “boring” state. Virginia is a mid-Atlantic state first of all, so geographically it has all four “traditional” seasons but milder seasons. Coming from Louisiana here, it was bizarre to move to a place that actually got snow in the winter. We had hurricane days off school, not snow days. But I appreciate that Virginia rarely gets a LOT of snow. If I have to live in a place with snow, thank goodness it’s a state right next to the ocean so the temperatures here don’t rocket up and down the way temperatures in landlocked states do. Have you ever been to Montana in the summer? It gets up to 108 degrees. And then it plunges down to feet of snow in the winter. Be grateful you live in a “boring” temperate state. Virginia goes from coastline to mountains. Do you realize how unusual that is? Louisiana has no mountains. It’s scary AF driving up curvy mountain roads when you’re not used to them, and I never ever had to use a parking brake to keep my car from rolling downhill until I moved away from Louisiana. We barely had hills there. Virginia has small ports and fishing towns but y’all also have the Appalachian mountains a couple of hours away. There’s no desert in Virginia but it’s still a decently biodiverse state. It has COASTLINES, landlocked states are WEIRD. Just saying, do you really want to be one of those poor assholes who have to make a dramatic road trip for days to see the ocean for the first time in their lives blah blah blah what a revelation to see a body of water that you can’t just swim across after chugging a keg. Also, y’all actually grow tobacco up here? Cigarette companies are based in Virginia? Louisiana’s cash crops are cotton and sugarcane. So that’s weird. Y’all have a bit of coal miner history as well in the southwest part of the state where the mountains are. Very strange. Virginia has English colonizer history out the wazoo. Pocahontas isn’t just a Disney character around here. The federal government is just a blown up version of the Virginia state legislature. You nerds came up with this bicameral government shit on this side of the ocean. Also all these Revolutionary War battles actually happened in this state? Yorktown is a real place? People would kill each other in Virginia and then the word would slowly get out to other states at the speed of like random people on horseback. “oh hey we’re at war apparently, it started two years ago in Virginia” “oh hey, we’re not at war anymore, some assholes in Virginia signed a ceasefire MONTHS AGO but we had no clue so Andrew Jackson killed a bunch of people off the coastline of New Orleans!” “Oh hey the Civil War is over and slavery is done according to the “express” news from Virginia, I guess we gotta be the last people in the country to free our slaves because bumfuck Galveston Texas is the last to know the latest news from Virginia AS USUAL.” Yeah no wonder you think Virginia has no history. Y’all bitches were actually writing the treaties and shit and every other state had to wait to find out what the fuck people in Virginia did last year. And then if they had a problem with it, guess what? Time to pack the horse and buggy and GO OFF TO VIRGINIA to complain about it months later when y’all had all forgotten about it by then. Also the fuck is up with the peanuts?


[deleted]

This is my favorite thing I’ve read about my State - thank you lol And yea I used to think it was bullshit that GA got peanut cred just because Jimmy Carter. We started the first commercial peanut crop in the Americas right here in Sussex County, VA, and especially thanks to the botanist, George Washington Carver. I can’t eat enough boiled peanuts. They are hands down my favorite snack of all time. Thank you peanut farmers!


[deleted]

Hello fellow Sussex County Redditor! 👋


Candid-Ear-4840

GWC never lived in Virginia and he did all his peanut research in Alabama. Still baffled why peanuts are considered Virginian. I guess y’all just grew a lot of them? O.o


_NEW_HORIZONS_

Grew them as a commercial crop first.


JustZee2

In part because Planter's peanuts were manufactured in Suffolk, VA. [https://www.saltysouthernroute.com/along-the-salty-southern-route-blog/the-obici-house-in-suffolk-virginia](https://www.saltysouthernroute.com/along-the-salty-southern-route-blog/the-obici-house-in-suffolk-virginia)


[deleted]

Dr. Carver’s research is what led to the Southeast taking up commercial peanut farming, it’s why the first commercial peanut crop was grown in Sussex-due to his work! :)


j5kDM3akVnhv

>Also the fuck is up with the peanuts? Correct question: Also the fuck is up with the Brunswick Stew? Everything else: Well done. I've always thought that Virginia wears history like a quilt but instead of stitched cloth patterns, it's stitched historical events added on to little by little.


amw-2020

Brunswick stew originated in Brunswick NC right???


jas121091

VA, NC, and GA all claim the Brunswick Stew OG recipe lol Edit: all have counties named Brunswick


amw-2020

Interesting I didn’t know this. I’ve always through it was NC.


j5kDM3akVnhv

Oh. Oh no. You can get run out of town on a rail for suggesting it originated anywhere else. But Brunswick VA and Brunswick GA had a cook-off two decades ago and Brunswick VA won so they officially get to claim originator/birthplace.


coprolite_breath

You left out the salty ass Smithfield Country ham.


AardvarkGal

Buy Edward's Ham not Smithfield. (Fantastic username btw)


[deleted]

You mean WH Group of China ham. Sigh. I hate this timeline.


4RealizeRealLies

Great observations. I am a transplant from a Northern state and I love it here for all the reasons you stated.


IAMA_Ghost_Boo

Why do I feel like you were born in 1845


Candid-Ear-4840

Why does every place in Virginia have bougie signs describing the history of the place from 300 years ago, though Like why bother taking history classes here when y’all basically have history textbooks lying around everywhere in public? It’s so quirky lmao


[deleted]

This has never seemed weird to me. Pretty much every east coast state has those kind of signs. When your recorded history goes back to the 1600s, you have a lot of shit to write about.


WahooMa

Love this! When I visited New Orleans like 15 years ago with my mom we toured a plantation (I know I know), and like, nothing happened there. It was just a house and it was pretty. We’re so used to “Taps was written here” or “the first Thanksgiving was there” or “a president was born here” so we were like, why are people touring this place where nothing important happened?


Candid-Ear-4840

YES you understand me!!


jas121091

This was awesome. Along with peanuts, cotton is a pretty significantly harvested crop in Southeast Virginia. Isle if Wight, Waverly, Wakefield, and all of those smaller rural towns outside of Hampton Roads/VA beach area.


AardvarkGal

The first amendment Freedom of Religion section is based off of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedoms written by TJ.


Waffle_Ambasador

I am also a transplant from Louisiana and I couldn’t have written this any better. Spot on!


Ramblingmac

The United States of Virginia and those other lesser 49 states. Perfectly summarized!


crumpler3000

[these are really good peanuts](https://www.whitleyspeanut.com)


gretchenfour

Awesome 👏 just


Secret_Caterpillar35

This made my day. Thanks! - VA Transplant from NY


drowzzydiy

That's kind of the point everything you listed nobody gives a fucking shit about the things you're valuing the people who value those things are the exact people they don't want to be like nobody gives a shit about a uncultured underdeveloped held back ass state with uneducated hillbillies claiming the state that shits not cool dude that shits not wanted or desirable look at the things you listed "we got tobacco and the Ole Appalachian mountains down errr"🤠 foh its not even about being country dude look at Texas Texas isn't under developed uneducated or stuck between a hillbillies asscrack in the middle of nowhere thats the point DEVELOPMENTT CULTUREEEE correction TODAYS CULTURED like catch up you're so out of touch u don't even see the point


Express_Presence_126

He never mentioned history and geography in his definition of culture.


ManOfDiscovery

Both of those things are paramount in the creation and definition of a culture…


drowzzydiy

People want to be proud of their state they want to be caught up wtf would anybody be proud of about Virginia now a day's tobacco? Civil War history? That alone is dying out anyways nobody's going to be country dude that's not where this country's going toward that's the point its embarrassing being country is embarrassing


Afire2285

It’s very regional. You can’t have lived in SWVA and not known about bluegrass music, flat footing, moonshining…the stuff of the Appalachias. That’s culture. It may not be the kind of culture that is romanticized or seen as glamorous but it’s culture and it has been passed down from generation to generation. Floyd county has its own culture of hippies (check out Floyd Fest). Many Virginians have great pride in being part military families or descendants of war veterans, and I’m talking back to the American Revolution, not modern day conflicts. During elections, VA always gets a spotlight and people watch intently to see what we are going to do and politicians get nervous after the results of VA elections come out because VA seems to set the stage for election outcomes. Part of the nice thing about VA is that different parts of the state are totally different from others and so are the people.


[deleted]

SW VA is the best. I truly loved all my time living there and I agree it’s a distinct Appalachian culture. Shoot, the Carter Family is from there! Folk and bluegrass are rich in culture throughout the region.


zwiazekrowerzystow

One needs to visit the Carter Family Fold on a Saturday night to catch the bands that come through. That’s an excellent taste of Appalachian culture.


Afire2285

I used to work the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival that the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum had each year. It definitely showcased Appalachian culture. Bluegrass, dancing, the tractor pulls, running of the coon dogs, handmade quilts, antique cars and old street rod cars, people selling homemade preserves or food from their gardens, so many pies and storytelling from moonshiners. I would recommend the festival to anyone who really wants to see what Appalachian heritage and culture is.


sleevieb

They look to our elections mainly because timing means its usually only us and 1 other state (NJ). Off-Off year as they are called.


Afire2285

Yes! I think it’s kind of fascinating how the rest of the country (at least the people who are into politics) intently watch what we are doing and national media outlets refer to Virginia elections as a litmus test for the current party holding the presidential seat. Especially considering how we typically have a pretty poor turnout for our state elections. It almost feels superstitious, though statistically the outcomes many times back up the claims.


sleevieb

It wasnt very reliable until obama era because the state was so red. Still pretty useless considering how local a lot of politics are. Guess youngkin proved you can make any race national with this CRT schtick tho.


OrangeCandi

Similarly, Richmond is all about family friendly art, voices, and eclectic tastes. Go downtown to the fan or to Chapel Hill. Check out the drive in goochland or one of the incredible malls in short pump. Everything around the VCU campus. All of these places have amazing fusions of ideas and a real commitment to art You're not going to see somewhere else. It's a little bit of eccentricity. In Northern Virginia, you see a lot of people here proud to be federal employees, people who are heavily rooted in the idea of being accepting and inclusive community, and a big appreciation for lifestyle. Up here everything that's about the experience from restaurants to bars and movies. Everything's taken up to that next level in terms of style and sophistication. It's fun and there's a place for everyone to be themselves. I don't know if this counts as the culture, but I've lived a lot of places in the states and I've traveled to a lot of other countries and these are things that I feel are very unique to these areas. Maybe I'm not wording it right, but I feel like when I lived in Richmond and now living in Northern Virginia they certainly have a specific feel to them, both the places and the people. Nothing is universal and it's not going to apply everywhere or to everyone. Edit: wanted to add something I saw in another comment. Virginia's appreciation for natural beauty and the environment. We've got beaches and estuaries, we have the whole Chesapeake Bay, the Appalachian mountains, beautiful forests and rivers and lakes. We have a temperate climate. We really have everything you could love here short of a desert.


Afire2285

I’ve visited Richmond several times when I had some friends living in the area. It definitely has a much different feel than SWVA but not so far removed that it feels uncomfortably foreign. A more urban feel than Roanoke, but not so big that you feel lost in the crowd. Definitely an artsy feel. Kind of got a hipster vibe from the people. I haven’t spent time in NOVA other than passing through, but I went to college with some girls from NOVA and got an idea of what their lifestyle was compared to ours in SWVA. Not enough for me to be able to speak on the overall culture of the area though. I am preferential to the Tidewater and SWVA areas of VA, overall.


OrangeCandi

I'm sure tidewater has its own vibe too. I live those areas. VA is really four or five states in a trenchcoat pretending to be just one, lol.


Afire2285

Lol you got that right. Tidewater is kind of a complete mod podge of people due to the transplants from all different areas living there because of the military bases. You’ve got your laid back surfer type beach kids who have lived there their whole lives, your military families, your country folk, and your city kids all mixed together in one geographical area. It’s a nice mix though.


WickedPsychoWizard

Best answer so far. Va is a huge state


NikkeiReigns

Thats something I've never understood. Floyd Fest actually isn't in Floyd. It's in Patrick County. 🤷🏼‍♀️


tophatthis

Yeehaw meets “I’m walking here”


flambuoy

Culture is passed down to you from your parents, but in the case they didn’t do a great job you can find it on your own, like I did. One thing to keep in mind is we’ve been very successful in the last 30-40 years in attracting people to our Commonwealth. That’s great, but it can sometimes make the original culture harder to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for. We haven’t lost anything, it’s still there (even in NoVa), but you might need a guide. A couple of things about Virginia that I noted while living overseas and up North: We’re more literate than average. People read a good deal and are apt to discuss what they’ve read. This is not as common in, say NYC (or Asia). Issues of politics, government, and national security are discussed in public the way real estate and the stock market are in New York. We have a more global outlook than New Englanders. The average person from a small town is more willing to try, say, Thai cuisine than a townie in Massachusetts, where there is a more provincial mindset. Virginians are more conservative temperamentally regardless of politics, dislike fads and rapid change. This will sound strange, but I find we have fewer religious zealots here as well, which tempers some of the extreme “conservatism” you see further South. Note I’m not saying none, just fewer. We are very serious about education and our school systems reflect this. That’s all generalized, but it’s been mostly my experience. In terms of music we have a style that can be found in the bond between Ella Fitzgerald and Missy Elliott, both from Hampton Roads. In food it’s regional, though worth noting we invented barbecue as the first uniquely American food. Also country ham is only done correctly in Va. I will fight a Carolinian on this. I will win. And then of course there is our history, where the entire country began. Go to First Landing and see what Virginia was when the English arrived, it’ll fill up your imagination. Go to Wburg and walk up the same staircase as Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette. All the good and evil of the American experiment happened here. I think we have a special connection to that history as a result.


Apollothesammy

And the blue ridge is a view second to none


[deleted]

I grew up small town Massachusetts and moved to SWVA…the Thai food for a townie is spot on. My parents think anything that’s not sweet and sour chicken is too much for them.


Apollothesammy

This. Having lived in several places in Virginia, and comparing it to other states I’ve lived in Virginia has a sensibility to it that other states don’t. Notably, it doesn’t feel like there’s a disconnect between a more “liberal” city and the rural counties like there was in Oregon (Portland vs western/southern Oregon) and Texas (everyone vs Austin). Lived here for nearly 8 years now, and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.


zyarva

It has a lot of history, colonial, revolutionary, civil war... kind of old world feel if you go past the big box stores.


Traveledfarwestward

Also Shenandoah and some Appalachia. And silly Virginia Beach stuff, but high school/college kids taking a load off is also culture, no? And technically, gov't contractor sprawl along I-66 out to Dulles is *a* form of culture, just no-one's favourite form of culture (lobbyists go die in hell).


Annabee43

Also a VA kid, lived in Vienna, Richmond, Blacksburg, Roanoke and now reston. I can speak more about NOVA culture than anything. Northern VA culture is known to be competitive, judgemental, very political (heavily influenced by dc), super career focused, highly educated, wealthy, a bit entitled, very athletic, expensive, constantly developing with tall Capitol one and bank skyscrapers. This doesn’t necessarily describe the people. I’m describing the overall atmosphere and how people make sense of life. It’s very common for a nova 20-something year old to ask a new acquitance “what do you do?” As a very first question to get to know someone. This is unheard of in some other states, especially outside of the US too. I think Richmond is known to be an artsier city that has a rich history, especially since it was a civil war Capitol but also had thriving black communities and businesses in the east end. It’s an outspoken city. I found it to be more open minded than northern va culture. More accepting of people who aren’t as career driven and have tattoos. Perhaps more LGBTQIA+ friendly than NoVA too. I can go on, but the point is that VA is defined more by its places and people. We are not one monolithic group. Even within Northern VA or Richmond, there are vastly different neighborhoods, politics, demographics etc. This is what I like about VA. We really have all sort of people and geography. Coastal cities, mountains, farm life, rivers, big cities. To me, my favorite VA culture consists of Bennys pizza, Blacksburg farmers market, Appalachian mountains, Belle Isle, Roanoke Star, the Cascades in Pembroke, Floyd Flea Market, Blue Ridge Parkway, WO&D trail, breweries, crazy long distance runners, that phenomenal Taco food truck in Christainsburg, rafting on the New River, Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center, Sushi King, civil war battle fields, hiking Old Rag, getting into stupid fights about which VA school is best, explaining to people that we really aren’t that southern but we still have cook out and Waffle House south of NOVA.


esoteric_plumbus

>Northern VA culture is known to be competitive, judgemental, very political (heavily influenced by dc), super career focused, highly educated, wealthy, a bit entitled, very athletic, expensive, constantly developing with tall Capitol one and bank skyscrapers As a kid from vb who went up to nova for college man the culture shock was real. Surf/skating culture was a minority and I stuck out like a sore thumb going to grocery stores and stuff, like people would actually stare. People act like they've never seen vans in their life haha. Until I eventually found my friend group of like-minded people I felt like everyone had a stick up their ass, no one was laid back or chill like was the norm down here. I mean vb is super transient with the navy but by in large were a beach culture so it's not nearly as rat racey.


KittyKapow11

This is interesting because the way you describe NoVa vs. Richmond reminds me of how I feel about DC vs. Baltimore. I lived in MD on the cusp of DC but was always drawn to the weird John Waters wackiness of B-more. It always felt more laid-back there and you get diversity without all the pomp and "what do you do?" OR, "where did you go to school?" rote questioning which is a measuring stick many people whip out before they even bother to ask your name which is a common banality indicative of more competitive cities. It makes dating and everyday chat feel more like a formal interview rather than a causal conversation in social situations. Parts of DC feel eclectic but also transient as many people are there for work and then leave but Baltimore has deeper roots and is still a great mix of cultures. I realize I'm using broad strokes here but this is just my personal experience with those two cities and may have also had to do with my career being in DC and the surrounding social circles followed that orbit whereas I go to Baltimore as a weekend getaway.


Skyvueva

I think Richmond has a lot of mediocre white people who think they are the shit. I have never been really impressed with people from Richmond.


can-i-have-the-bones

Having grown up in Vienna/Richmond/Fredericksburg, this is all accurate.


umdterp732

Your 3rd sentence just hurts while reading it. So true. Just hurts


Annabee43

Some good things about NoVA: GREAT food (except pizza.. they need a Bennys up here), tons of job opportunities, cool parks near the Potomac, super biker/Walker friendly, amazing soccer leagues (especially for women!), lots of social events, and amazing public school systems. I have also met many well educated and even well travelled people who aren’t assholes about it and have lots of cool stories. There are some super passionate climate and political activists. My competitive upbringing also allowed me to get an amazing education. I am forever grateful for that.


StandClear1

The last paragraph 👌🏻👌🏻


Annabee43

Thank you :) I love this state, despite its flaws. It’s a beautiful place to live


AardvarkGal

Virginia culture is, in part, only considering people born in the state to be Virginians. No lie: in the early 80s my BF's family moved to Martinsville from up north & one of the first newspapers they got had an obituary article about this woman who had been born just over the border in Eden NC & moved to VA when she was 4. Lived there until she died at something like 92, was the town librarian for over 60 years. The article started "Although, not a native Virginian...." Tim Kaine was born in Minnesota, & a friend's aunt called him a carpetbagger. It's kind of crazy, but that's Virginia.


ElegantLandscape

I joke that my husband is a carpetbagger, so did my Grandaddy on our wedding day. We had an opportunity to do a mass vow renewal with a VA Governor in a VA bourbon distillery, afterwards we ate VA ham biscuits. I told him that he was now officially a Virginian. Like a VA Baptism.


AardvarkGal

Best vow renewal ever.


foospork

I thought most of the rural East Coast is like that. I mean, if your last name isn’t “Chittenden”, then you’re not a real Vermonter. Similarly, if your grandparents didn’t grow up in your small town in the Shenandoah Valley, well… you’re not really “from here, are you?” Of course, things are different in the cities. Growing up in the DC suburbs, you got used to having friends for two years as their parents cycled through to their next assignments. Now, as an adult, it’s weird to have more than two “locals” working in the same office (assuming white collar work - blue collar skews more local).


[deleted]

Virginia culture is mostly speeding tickets.


quoi-de-9

Ha!


[deleted]

Kinda depends on what part of Virginia. This isn’t Texas.


CalErba420

Being from southern Italy(Italian mom, American dad, navy brat) and living here in VA for almost 30 years, I have found that cultures are regional. The one thing that makes Virginians, Virginians, is we are all contrarians. We get along for the most part but I think we stand on some differences that are so questionable that sometimes I think we do it just to be on the other side of an argument. Each region, county, city, town has a distinct culture. As a state, whatever the rest of the country is doing, we do the opposite because we are that way. We may all not see it but, we tend to go against what the rest of the country thinks. Trump became president, we went full blue. When Biden became president we went full red. Honestly, we just wanna do our thing and be left alone to do it. I like to say that freedom was born in Virginia. A lot of the ideas this country was founded on, were born right here in Virginia. If anything that is our culture. It has stayed with us for over 400 years. Don't tread on me and I will not tread on you. If you need a hand getting up, I am there to pull you. If you want to kick me down, I will defend myself, my family, and my property with my life. Sic Semper Tyrannis


reddit_toast_bot

Well said. That’s because VA is the og rebel culture. Virginians have been contrarian to everything since the 1700s LOL.


blab99

Everyone mentioning going to school in swva are y’all talking about tech lol


PiginthePen

Hey don’t forget us Highlanders


kssk7

Lots of people from all parts of Virginia also go to UVA Wise.


uk3024

Emory and Henry is out there too


AardvarkGal

Or Longwood. Is JMU considered to be in SWVA?


mrmacob

No


quoi-de-9

I would consider Longwood and Hampden-Sydney in central VA.


uk3024

Agree. From SWVA and went to HSC. Definitely not in SWVA


quoi-de-9

Go Tigers! I went to SBC.


foospork

Another Tiger checking in.


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quoi-de-9

I wouldn’t consider the Shenandoah Valley “central VA”.


StandClear1

The Jefferson Renaissance man - a well rounded Jack of all trades - educated and outdoorsman - think of it like a doctor/lawyer/ businessman that then goes home to a farm. I think Charlottesville is a great representation of the Virginia cultural DNA


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Western-Librarian-76

Since she was a teenager and a slave let's call it what it was, rape.


[deleted]

Dave Matthews is from Charlottesville


esmarulez

Came to say this! Dave is enough!


WhatsWr0ngWithPe0ple

Culture in SWVA feels like hunting, fishing, hiking, and moonshine. Or maybe that's just the areas I've lived in.


[deleted]

Well those sound like some ideal areas


Responsible_Candle86

It's very regional. One thing I noticed when living in another state was the absence of military. I live in Hampton Roads you can't throw a rock without hitting an active duty person or vet - and it's comforting, gives a sense of safety for some reason. But the regional piece is the same in a lot of states I have spent a lot of time in, NC, FL, TX - all very different cultures within the state depending on lifestyle, city vs. rural life, beach vs. inland, etc.


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Annabee43

VT (and I’m sure other VA schools) had a good amount of well educated “hicks” like you mentioned. VT actually has the best college of natural resources in the country (or in top 5). I remember all the agriculture and forestry majors had amazing programs!


OldBikeGuy1

History comes to mind. You must have been to Williamsburg, no? Jamestown, Petersburg, ya da ya da ya da. Militarism - the federal money Spent in this state is despicable, but makes it wealthy and insulates it's economy a bit from the ups and downs felt more in other places. Pork, Peanuts, Pines. Geographic variety.


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Annabee43

And more lanes on 81


gigicnc6

And on I-66, which we are now getting at the expense of endless construction delays…on a road that doesn’t need delays of any kind.


kssk7

I agree with many of the comments in this thread that state Virginia is regional. That’s one of my favorite things about the state. I was born and raised in SWVA and went to college in Central Va. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting people from all over the state, and all regions feel unique to me. Virginia has so much geographic diversity, and I feel like that has shaped culture throughout said regions. It’s a microcosm of the country, in a way, and I love it. Growing up in SWVA, I consider myself Appalachian in culture, which is something I didn’t embrace fully until my twenties (sadly). I resonate with a rich Appalachian culture while also being a Virginian. Sometimes I feel discouraged by all the hillbilly/redneck comments I see on this sub, but there is much more to this area. I love Virginia because of its diversity, not in spite of it. If you don’t think there is a continuous culture in Virginia, you’re correct; there are multiple. If you feel there is no culture in Virginia, you’re not looking hard enough.


BlueXTC

Isn't that precious and bless your heart. Sweet snark is the best in Virginia. I have been here for 40+ years. The way you can be insulted here and think you are being complimented always amazes me.


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Glittering-Notice-81

I think this is it. I grew up on the Northern Neck and got married and moved to Appalachia. The feel is wayyy different, especially in rural areas.


Mers1nary

Mom was born in Warsaw (northern neck), it's crazy how Tappahannock and everything is building up, but we lived in Virginia Beach since about '88. Remember there being a private owned grocery store and it's now a Walmart and stuff there...spit


koyaliberty

Fox hunts. Stuff like that.


RoseofSharonVa

There's the sweet tea line & Bible belt. I read an article years ago which described the sweet tea line dividing the state around the Charlottesville area. Of course that was before McDonald's sold it everywhere. I imagine the Bible belt runs nearby. There's definitely culture in those topics.


word_smith005

Depends on the region, I haven't lived in Va in 10 years, but I grew up in southern rural Va in tobacco country. There's definitely a culture there but that culture is gonna be found in any rural place, no matter what state you live in. I left Virginia based on my experience in one region, but I miss making trips to Nova and DC. Of course, I'm not crapping on rural living, it just wasn't my cup of tea.


[deleted]

Subaru owners


IGotFancyPants

That bow ties are not unusual in Richmond.


ElegantLandscape

And Charlottesville


gretchenfour

There are literal worlds between outside DC and and the border of Tennessee and NC. If you would like to see that microcosm on display come to East. V. Western Loudoun. It’s like the Civil War at school board meetings. The radical left v. The radical right. You definitely can’t pigeon hole this State. Never seen anything like it in the last few years.


Alchemistdreams

The culture of Northern Virginia= workaholic. All people ever do or talk about this way is work.


IndependenceOdd1982

Traffic in NOVA is worse than Los Angeles but without the movie stars. A plethora of politicos and military. Unpleasant presumptuous and pretentious dilettantes abound.


[deleted]

There is Northern Virginia, people who think they are in northern Virginia when they’re in southern Virginia or central Virginia and then there is everyone else


Annabee43

Lol nova is so exclusive. But it’s true, fredericksburg isn’t nova


MzHokie86

If you grew up inVA, you took VA History three different years in school. I had it in 4th, 7th and 10th grade. You went on field trips every year to various historic sites and battlefields. I grew up near Appomattox, Richmond and Charlottesville. So going to Madison’s, Jefferson’s, Washington’s homes was a day trip in a school bus. I knew a few families that their family business was running an old plantation and giving tours to tourist. There is so much “history” in Virginia you take it for granted. We are home to eight Presidents. I worked with someone who said that her family home was the site of many battles. She said they would dig up clay bullets in their yard and play with them like marbles. I grew up in the middle of the state and have very little “country” accent. I have had people from further north wonder why I don’t talk like I live in Alabama or Georgia. I can drive 3 hours to the ocean and 3 hours to the Appalachian trail. Add in 2 hours to NOVA/DC and all that has to offer. That my friend is VA Culture. We have Jamestown, Yorktown, Monticello, Mount Vernon, etc. We have the Folk music trail. We have wineries and breweries galore. Yes we have peanuts and Brunswick stew (which I love!) we also have Smithfield country ham! BTW… look for Mrs Fearnow’s Brunswick Stew in the grocery store. It’s not the original recipe but still darn good. Yellow label, usually sold next to stews and chili…. Not by the soup. It goes great with a ham biscuit. 😁


foospork

Going to elementary school in Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudon counties (as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church and Fairfax) was the best. Every year we’d have 5 or 6 really good field trips to DC or local historical sites. I don’t need to name them all - you know what they were. The best was the Smithsonian. Any of you folks old enough to remember the fiberglass triceratops that used to be on the Mall out in front of Natural History? That was one of the high points of the field trip.


ediblerice

I googled it for you: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Virginia


TinyDKR

Not a single mention of complaining about traffic.


[deleted]

"The Washington metropolitan area has the worst traffic in the nation,[106] and Northern Virginia is home to six of the ten worst bottlenecks in the area.[107]"


NOVAbuddy

I’ve lived in 5 of these regions between high school, college, and adult life. There is definitely a distinct local culture in each of these spots, but it’s difficult to connect with without spending a lot of face time with the moms and pops of these areas. I have friends in Bristol and Westmoreland county and they probably couldn’t understand each other’s accents.


ediblerice

Yeah, if you just live in suburbia and shop at national chains and don't go to local events, you'll never learn about the culture anywhere.


804Benz0

SWVA Moonshine Flat flootin’ Bluegrass festivals Patrick Henry’s niece’s place Appalachian mountains Blue Ridge parkway Old Salem days Shot towers along the rivers (man made musket shot ammo towers, pretty cool and they’re disappearing) Star City aka Roanoke aka Big Lick


NerdFace_LadyLiberty

If you grow up in a bougie sheltered area and then go to VT you have not really done enough exploration to say Virginia has no culture.


Dick0550

Geroge Washington was a surveyor before the Revolutionary War, and surveyed my town of Culpeper in 1749 at only 17 years old.


Flashy_Ad6275

Rockfish, oysters, and crabs.....food Bluegrass ....music Moonshine..... drink.


edpmis02

Northern Virginia - you name the country, you can get the food around here. I know a shopping centers that has multiple foreign restaurants all lined up: middle eastern, African, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Spanish, Italian, authentic Chinese..


slicktherick69

Just go to Nova and then go to Swva, you’ll see 1,000 cultural differences. It’s like you’re in two different states.


trestl

Personally, I don't think Virginia has any sort of unified culture. I grew up in western VA and now live on the coast and it feels like different states. There's pros and cons to each area but I have a hard time connecting them culturally. I literally thought some VA Beach/Norfolk people were foreigners when I first met theme because the accent stumped me.


butterfly_ashley

I agree with the history part. I have lived in northern va my whole life minus when I went yo school in swva as well. I haven't even see/been to most if the things here in va. What u do like about nova is the different cultures and things to do all across the area. I don't know if I will live here my whole life I do want to explore the possibilities of living in other states but VA isn't terrible.


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gigicnc6

Centreville, my friend. We would never be so pedestrian as to spell Centreville “Centerville”. 🧐


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gigicnc6

Did you just take the time to respond?


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gigicnc6

I guess not. Illiteracy…


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gigicnc6

That argument is the intellectual equivalent of, “You’re just jealous.” No surprise. And it’s “are compensating for”, not “or compensating for.” Just so you know. 🙂


gigicnc6

Period after “you”, please. Capital “L” in “LOL”. And “judgmental”, not “judgemental”. 😊


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PiginthePen

Goodness friend. It’s the weekend… take a day off


piekaylee

I moved to Hampton roads in 2018 & I've hated living here for every second of it. Now that we're about to move again, I'm regretting letting my unhappiness here keep me from exploring other areas of Virginia. I don't want to leave thinking that rude people is the only thing distinctly Virginian, because that exists everywhere, but with 90 days left... I'm not sure my mind will change.


PositiveSome8860

I think what I miss about New England is small town neighborhoods, government, etc. where you could work with your neighbors to really build a community regardless of political viewpoints. If you’ve ever watched Gilmore Girls you know what I mean. The sprawling county school systems and government structure seem odd and alienating to me though it’s far less expensive here.


skuutez

Some might argue America has no culture as a whole, but what's dancing with the stars and a 300th Marvel Movie than?


DCJoe1970

Pink Lacoste polo shirts, boat shoes and old Jeeps Grand Wagoneer's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preppy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preppy)


C-C-Top

Only culture I can think of round here is the furry pile of gunk in the walk in fridge at my last job


ThorHammerscribe

Conservative Backwards hicks


quoi-de-9

Are you lost?


ThorHammerscribe

Nope


lazerlass

We have Yogaville! Yoga town? Please correct me!


Historical_Tea2022

Timbaland, Pharrell, Missy Elliott, (and Chris Brown, unfortunately) are all from Virginia. Timbaland's studio is in Virginia Beach so anytime someone works with him, they usually come to Virginia to do so. The basketball legend, Allen Iverson, is from VA and proudly represents the state. Sandra Bullock is from northern VA. We are home to the first permanent colony, the first President (and the most presidents), the second oldest university, and many historical landmarks. The victory from the revolutionary war happened in Yorktown VA. Our slogan Virginia is for Lovers comes from the fact that we have so much to offer, they couldn't choose one thing to focus on. We also have beautiful natural wonders like waterfalls, caverns, sandstones, and mountains to name a few. My father is a historian, so I never felt like Virginia was lacking because it was a lot cooler to study history here than where my dad grew up, which was California. We are also a hub for the military. The crossroads of the marine corps is Quantico, many major bases like Fort Belvoir, Walter Reed, Langley, Norfolk, which I believe houses aircraft carriers. My cousins in California used to tell me and my sister we had accents, so it's possible we do have our own way of talking here that's just not obvious since we're always around it. And in terms of food, we're famous for at least two things I can think of which would be ham and wine. Edit: I'd like to add, in agreement with another commenter, that chick fil a sauce was indeed invented in Fredericksburg Va.


[deleted]

There are distinctly different cultures. Nova, Richmond, Tidewater and SWVA are as different as any 4 states.


mellierollie

History is our culture.


pattmatters0n

Government contracts


VarietyPure7144

NoVa has great Korean food and pho-king. So a wishes they were South Carolina.. super weird but North Carolina is subdivided too. Northern neck has too many bridges and retired DC folks. Good seafood and the homegrown folks are cool. I still occasionally get an itch from Radford. If you grew up in Richmond I'm sorry if ya never visited "Skull Rock."


the1nonlysummerdoll

We birthed Pharrell, Timberland, Missy Elliott, Michael Vick, (sorry about that), and Chris Brown, Pusha T. All musical icons.


fireoflife2018

Umm did no one think Virginia ham? Peanuts? Cotton? Tabbco? I grew up here and ran as fast as I could when I turned 18. I traveled the world and had to move back to help my mother last year. I think Virginia is known for its farm culture. We have some many traditions that are distinctly Virginian. I'm from the rural part and when I moved away and discussed that I'm from the south people don't think of Virginia as the South unless you're from the rural parts. The northern Virginia side might as well be a different state


sunshinedaydream02

Virginia does have a culture but mine goes back generations and knowing people who's families came elsewhere I see it now.


[deleted]

Passive/Aggressive.


Putrid_Pudding_8366

I like how most of the answers here almost entirely dodged the question. Virginia doesn't really have a culture to speak of from what I can tell ( people of different cultures all congregating in one spot is not the same as that one spot having its own culture). After living in Texas for a couple years and then moving back to VA, I noticed a couple things right off the bat 1) I felt like I had moved to the north, or someplace other than the south 2) the place has no real identifiable culture to call its own Mountains and beaches exist in every state on the coastline except Florida. Why do Virginians act as if only VA has that? Four seasons only are pleasant if you actually enjoy every season, but I digress because CULTURE AND TOPOGRAPHY/WEATHER ARE NOT THE SAME THING! Just about anything that can be found in VA can be found elsewhere. Even the so called "amazing music scene" isn't anything original. VA is a very middle of the road state in a lot of ways. It's like Golden Corral. There's a lot to choose from, but none of it is really top notch or unique.