New England. A diverse region of the United States, home to seven unique states. You can find just about anything from great beaches to cities to mountains. New Englanders take pride in their background and often bond over sports teams and our worship of Boston. One thing I did not quite grasp before arriving at Lafayette was how overpowered we would be. Don’t get me wrong, Pennsylvania is great and all, and I love my New Jersey friends, but there is something different about the culture here that is not quite like our beloved home. Whether it’s stereotypes or disagreements, here are 10 things that we love and set us apart from the rest of the bunch.
1. The Patriots
This one is a given. It’s not a surprise that we worship the Patriots. I mean, come on. And if you don’t, are you really a true New Englander? No. Besides, everyone is low-key hopelessly in love with Tom Brady whether or not they are a Patriots fan. Boston sports are just so trendy! Who doesn’t want to go to a victory parade every year? Just saying, we don’t have six rings for nothing…
2. “Park the car in Harvard Yard”
Yes, we’ve all heard it before, except it is more like “pahk thah cah in Havahd Yahd”. Truth is, no one actually says this and it is equally as annoying the second time you said it as it was the first time you said it. Just don’t do it.
3. Maple Syrup
Similar to Canadians, we take pride in our maple syrup. If you’re a New Englander and use fake maple syrup (like Aunt Jemima’s), you’re either a psychopath or your dad’s job just relocated your family all the way from Kentucky. In all seriousness, we don’t mess around with maple syrup and that’s that. Consumption of fake maple syrup in New England is basically a sin.
4. “Wicked”
Yes, we say this and we say it a lot, and yes we hear “wicked? Did you just say wicked? Are you from New England?” daily. We know. We understand the consequences of saying it. It is colloquial and it is how we were raised and we will never stop saying it. Don’t think that just because we say “wicked” that it allows you to say “wicked smaht”. Similar to “park the car in Harvard Yard” no one talks like that.
5. Skiing
Skiing is a must. If you haven’t been skiing up North and you’re from New England you’re doing it wrong. Winter hits different here. We embrace the cold and the snow if it means we get the chance to hit the slopes. Family weekend ski trips to Vermont or New Hampshire are always a good idea.
6. Foliage
Not only does winter hit different, but fall hits different. Driving through New Hampshire and Vermont when the leaves are changing is every New Englanders favorite fall pastime. If you aren’t from New England, it’s worth the trip, I promise, just don’t get caught being a leaf peeper.
7. Massholes
Either you are one, or you hate them. People like to complain about New Yorkers, but trust me, if you think people from New York are annoying drivers, you clearly have not met a Masshole.
8. Dunkin Donuts
Whether you say Dunks or Dunkin, this one is a fan favorite.Any time of the year, anywhere, Dunks is ALWAYS a good idea. People will try to argue with you and say that Starbucks is better, but we all know that fake-tasting, sugary, Dunkin coffee is where it’s at. New England runs on Dunkin.
9. Sea Food
We eat a lot of seafood, especially those of us who grew up on the shoreline. I mean there’s a reason it’s called New England clam chowder. If you’ve never had a Maine lobster roll, you’ve never had a real lobster roll. Maine and Rhode Island are the heart and soul of seafood.
10. Bumper Stickers
If you’re from New England, one of your cars has or at one point had the location of your favorite winter or summer destination. Whether it is “ACK” or “VT” we all have at least one vacation spot that we worship and will defend above all. If the sticker is not on the back of our car, you can assure that it is strategically placed on the Thule that sits directly on top of your car.
If you’re from New England, I’m sure you were able to relate to every single one of these things. If you’re not, you probably know someone who is, and I hope this helped you to understand New Englanders just a little better. And by the way, it’s called a rotary.