Maryland Local Customs

 
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Most Viewed Local Customs in Maryland

1.

Scenes of Baltimore   Baltimore

Scenes of Baltimore, Baltimore

 14 Reviews  Charles North is bounded by Howard Street, Penn Station, St. Paul Street and 22nd Street It mostly has a transient rental population with many commercial properties. Good things about the area... 

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2.

The 'Hons' of Baltimore   Baltimore

The 'Hons' of Baltimore, Baltimore

 6 Reviews  Many Baltimoreans will call you "hon". Don't get offended....it's not meant to be an insult or degrading to women (and men). It's just a Baltimore thing. We call everybody "hon", whether we know your... 

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3.

Crabs   Baltimore

Crabs, Baltimore

 4 Reviews  Crabs are as much a part of Baltimore culture as anything possibly could be. If you visit Baltimore, you MUST have some sort of crab dish complet with Old Bay seasoning. The common way to eat crabs is... 

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4.

People of Baltimore   Baltimore

People of Baltimore, Baltimore

 4 Reviews  I took this picture in my passenger side mirror while I was stopped at a light. It's not as good of course as the photo by the qunitessential Baltimore photographer A. Aubrey Bodine's poster... 

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5.

Universities   Baltimore

Universities, Baltimore

 4 Reviews  College of Notre Dame of Maryland Also known as the CONDOM school....... A college for women. for some unknown reason, CONDOM students don't like to be called CONDOM students... I don't understand... 

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6.

Media   Baltimore

Media, Baltimore

 5 Reviews  "Please do not deliver the Examiner to this house" I had a good chuckle when I saw these signs on several adjacent rowhouses in the Federal Hill district, it appears that the Examiner is a free... 

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7.

The Baltimore Orioles   Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore

 2 Reviews  Baltimore residents really get into their professional sports teams -- apparently more than their religions, if you check the adjacent photo. Local athletes like Johnny Unitas and Cal Ripken Jr. are... 

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Fireman's Carnivals, County Fairs & the State Fair

by grandmaR

Each of our county volunteer fire departments has a fair once a year in the summer to raise funds for equipment and buildings that lasts a week and has rides and food.Each county also has a fair. Ours includes 4-H competitions, a horse show, horse pulling, a parade, and of course rides and food. Our fair is the third week in September, Friday is the day all the school kids get off to go for free.The 4-H horse show winners of the county fair then go to the following year State Fair which is held over Labor Day. The State Fair also has horse racing.Maryland also has many other fairs. Our largest fair is the Oyster Festival which is the third weekend in October. Both the Oyster Festival and the County Fair are held at the Fairgrounds which are south of Leonardtown.The Maryland calendar lists the events by the month. Some of them are:Event Date Event NameAPRIL 8 St. Mary's College of...

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state symbols

by davecallahan

state bird is the Baltimore Oriole.state flower is the Black Eyed Susan.state nickname "Free State".state tree is the White Oakthe state seal: obverse side says "cecilius absolutus dominus terrae mariae et Avalonia Baro de Baltimore" (Cecil, Absolute Lord of Maryland and Avalon, Baron of Baltimore); the front side says "scuto bonae voluntatus tuae coronasti nos" (with favor wilt thou compass us as with a shield) and "fatti maschi, parole femine" (strong deeds, gentle words); there are figures of explorers bordering the state shieldthe state flag is the same as the state shield and is in reference to the Baron of Baltimore family crest

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The Maryland flag is one of...

by msazadi

most unique State flags in the USA. Maryland's flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. Calvert was the family name of the Lords Baltimore who founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and black appear in the first and fourth quarters of the flag. Crossland was the family of the mother of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore. The red and white Crossland colors, with a cross bottony, appear in the second and third quarters. This flag first was flown October 11, 1880, in Baltimore at a parade marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore. It also was flown October 25, 1888, at Gettysburg Battlefield for ceremonies dedicating monuments to Maryland regiments of the Army of the Potomac. Officially, it was adopted as the State flag in 1904 (Chapter 48, Acts of 1904, effective March 9, 1904).

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Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham

by grandmaR

It used to be that you could only get Key Lime pie in the Florida Keys. Now, it is ubiquitous. But St. Mary's County Stuffed Ham is still a strictly local food - unknown outside of southern Maryland.Stuffed ham came about when some thrifty cook decided to stuff some greens in the cavity that was left when the ham bone was removed from a ham hock. The greens - usually kale - are chopped and mixed with spices, and then the stuffed ham is cooked. After it is cooked, when it is sliced, there is a center of greens in each slice.Bob doesn't like ham much, and he doesn't like kale either. But I do. I only get stuffed home once a year at the Oyster Festival. I usually buy two sandwiches and eat one at the Festival and take the other one home for lunch. This year they also had stuffed ham soup. I bought some extra for out of town guests that were visiting so that they could taste it.This is one...

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Maryland Lottery

by grandmaR

There's very little gambling in Maryalnd - except for the lottery and the racetrack. But I'm not a gambler in any way shape or form, and I have not played the Maryland Lottery. I don't really know how it worksThe Maryland Lottery site says:Maryland Lottery tickets are bearer instruments. For your protection, sign the back of your ticket. Play slips are not valid receipts. The Maryland Lottery is not responsible for lost, stolen, altered, mutilated, or destroyed tickets. The purchaser of the ticket has sole responsibility for checking the accuracy of the data printed on tickets before leaving the retailer location. Corrections or cancellations must be made at the time of purchase. A further listing of the Maryland Lottery Rules and Regulations is contained in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), Title 14, Independent Agencies. The Maryland Lottery statute is contained in the Maryland...

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Flagpole Finial

by grandmaR

When the United States flag is flown, there should be an eagle at the top of the flagpole. When the Maryland flag is flown, the top of the flagpole should be a cross bottonyCross bottony (Her.), a cross having each arm terminating in three rounded lobes, forming a sort of trefoil. The Crossland arms are quarterly, argent (silver) and gules (red), and a cross bottony counterchanged. In flags the color silver is represented by white. The Crossland arms are the red and white quarters of the Maryland flag.Article 60A, Chapter 862, Acts of 1945, Annotated Code of Maryland reads, "If any ornament is affixed to the top of a flagstaff carrying the Flag of Maryland, it shall be a gold cross bottony." The adjective is usually spelled either "botone" or "botony," but as the form in the law is "bottony," that spelling becomes correct and legal in Maryland.

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Which Way is Up?

by grandmaR

It's really easy to get the flag upside-down with the red and white section at the top. (But if you do, probably no one will notice.) If you don't have a flag with the flagpole side indicated it would also be easy to fly it backwardsJust as the American flag should be flown on a flagpole topped by an eagle, Maryland flags should be flown on a flagpole topped with a gold cross bottony. A cross bottony is the cross with the cloverleaf ends.The flag is a combination of the family crest of George Calvert (the black and gold parts) and his mother's family (the Crosslands) crest. The flag was not made official until after the Civil War.

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Raising Tobacco

by grandmaR

Tobacco is a big cash crop in southern Maryland. In the spring, the plants are raised in seed beds. Then they are set out by people who ride on the back of a planter (which is a machine with seats down almost on the ground that is pulled by a team of horses or by a tractor) - they feed the plants into the machine which sticks them in the ground and squirts water and fertilizer into the ground with the seedling. Then in the fall (right about the time school starts) the tobacco is harvested and strung on poles like bunches of bananas and then hung in a barn to cure. The barns are traditionally like this one. They are unpainted because paint would taint the tobacco taste, and they have vent boards along the sides that can be raised in good weather to help the tobacco cure.In the winter when the tobacco is dried, it is stripped and bundled and then taken to the warehouse where the tobacco...

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Please Drive Gently

by b1bob

If you ever doubted Maryland was more liberal than most states, for many years welcome signs admonished motorists to "drive gently". Out of staters got a real hoot of that. With the coming of the Ehrlich administration, "drive gently" was replaced by "Buckle up. We care and it's our law". Many thanks to my friend ClarkRB for letting me use this blast from the recent past.

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Old Bay Seasoning

by b1bob

If Maryland had a state condiment, it would have to be Old Bay Seasoning. The spice was first concocted in Baltimore in the 1930s by a German immigrant. It is a mixture of celery salt, mustard, red pepper, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, cinnamon and paprika. Old Bay Seasoning is also all-natural and certified Kosher. It is identified by its distinctive yellow and blue tin. It gives any kind of meat added flavour, but it really kicks seafood up a notch.

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Local traditions and culture in Maryland

Top 3 Hotels in Maryland

Admiral Fell Inn  Baltimore

 4 Reviews and 394 Opinions  We've been receiving special offers from Baltimore's Inner Harbor hotels since we joined the Harbor... 

 Hotels in Baltimore

Historic Inns of Annapolis  Annapolis

 6 Reviews and 336 Opinions  Although we did not stay here, it looked like a lovely Inn right smack in the middle of Annapolis. 

 Hotels in Annapolis

Hilton Suites Ocean City Oceanfront  Ocean City

 1 Review and 426 Opinions  We stayed at the Hilton to celebrate our 2nd Wedding Anniversary on April 23rd, 2007. The room was... 

 Hotels in Ocean City

803 Hotels in Maryland
 
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Reviews and photos of Maryland attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Maryland sightseeing.

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Local Customs: Cities in Maryland
  1. Baltimore Local Customs
  2. Ocean City Local Customs
  3. Annapolis Local Customs
  4. Solomons Island Local Customs
  5. Saint Michaels Local Customs
  6. Havre de Grace Local Customs
  7. Towson Local Customs
  8. Frederick Local Customs
  9. Leonardtown Local Customs
  10. Ellicott City Local Customs
  11. College Park Local Customs
  12. Antietam Local Customs
  13. Rockville Local Customs
  14. Assateague Island Local Customs
  15. Chesapeake City Local Customs
  16. Point Lookout State Park Local Customs
  17. Silver Spring Local Customs
  18. St. Marys City Local Customs
  19. Crisfield Local Customs
  20. Prince Frederick Local Customs
  21. Kent Island Local Customs
  22. Mechanicsville Local Customs
  23. Gaithersburg Local Customs
  24. Germantown Local Customs
  25. Morgantown Local Customs
  26. Great Mills Local Customs

More Cities in Maryland

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  We are planning to go camping on Assateague Island during the second week of April. So I have a few dumb camping questions :-) I... 

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A: http://www.assateagueisland.com/assateague_camping.htm > So basically, where do I physically go to pay for the campsite? If you look at the dates on those web sites,... 

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