1. The Hens Here Know How To Fight
When it comes to college sports in Delaware, everyone loves to cheer for the University of Delaware’s Fightin’ Blue Hens. They might not be a household name nationwide, but that doesn’t keep Delawareans from proudly wearing blue and yellow.
2. Vinegar Is A Great Fry Condiment
There’s nothing Delawareans love more than heading to the boardwalk in Rehoboth for a bucket of Thrasher’s fries. While this hot stop doesn’t offer ketchup as a condiment, the vinegar flows quite freely making vinegar fries one of the state’s most popular dishes.
3. Smashing Pumpkins Isn’t Only For Delinquents
Delawareans use all sorts of contraptions to launch pumpkins insane distances with the record currently standing at more than a mile. Each year, over 100 teams compete in what they called the “Punkin Chunkin” World Championship, now at Dover International Speedway.
4. Buff Isn’t Just A Body Type
Buff is a state color of Delaware similar to the shade of a desert. It goes perfect with their other state color, colonial blue.
5. Scrapple Is So Good, It’s Got Its Own Festival
Well, technically scrapple shares the festival with apples, but that doesn’t mean scrapple is any less awesome.
There’s not a better place to try this regional dish consisting of pork scraps, a thickening agent, and spices than at Bridgeville’s annual Apple-Scrapple Festival, complete with scrapple throwing contests, an iron skillet toss, and scrapple served up in more ways than you can imagine.
6. License Plates Are A Status Symbol
Generations literally fight over their family’s license plates. Black plates can cost people thousands of dollars, with lower numbers meaning an even higher price.
7. Awesome Beaches Aren’t Only Found Down South
With tons of shoreline in Delaware, residents love flocking to the beaches during the warmer months. In fact, Bethany Beach has been named one of the country’s best secret beaches.
Not only are our beaches great, beachside shops make these destinations a huge hit among locals and tourists alike.
8. Chickens Are A Big Deal Here
There are tons of chicken farms in Delaware, as the poultry industry contributes billions of dollars to the state’s economy. Any Delawarean knows the smell of a chicken farm as it wafts through the air.
9. The Dumplings In Delaware Are A Bit Slippery
Unlike Southern dumplings, the ones found in Delaware are large rectangles, rolled very thin giving them a noodle like consistency, often served up as chicken and dumpling soup.
10. YoUDee Is A Household Name
The mascot of the University of Delaware is loved statewide. People treat YoUDee like a celebrity, taking pictures with this blue hen and even chanting his name.
11. Show Some Respect. We Were Here First.
The first state to enter the Union, patriotism runs deep in the Diamond State. No matter what an out-of-towner might brag about with regards to where they’re from, Delawareans love to pull out the ULTIMATE trump card and mention how they were Americans first.
12. What You See Is What You Pay
One thing that often shocks out-of-towners is the lack of sales-tax in Delaware. This law encourages tons of people from surrounding states to cross the border to make a big purchase at a lower price.
13. Philly Isn’t The Only Place With Awesome Cheesesteak
It shouldn’t come as much of a shock, but with its close proximity to Philadelphia, Delawareans are also spoiled by great sandwiches. Places like Capriotti’s and Casapulla’s serve up some of the best cheesesteaks in the country.
14. The Running Of The Bulls Isn’t Just A Spain Thing
Each year, Delawareans head to Dewey Beach for the annual Running of the Bull event. It’s not quite as dangerous as its foreign counterpart as this bull is simply a human in a bull costume.
15. NASCAR Is A Pretty Big Deal
Home to Dover Downs International Speedway and the widely known NASCAR sponsor DuPont, Delawareans can’t help but love auto racing.
If an out-of-towner is in for a quick visit, a trip to Dover Downs is always a memorable experience.
16. Delawareans Will Probably Try To Give You Crabs
Soft shell crabs are better in Delaware than anywhere else in the country. The state is so close to the source that they’re fresh, cheap, and very plentiful.
17. Disc Golf Isn’t Just A Hobby
With a disc golf course in every state park, tossing these saucers into a basket is a pretty big deal across Delaware. While it may look like it’s all fun and games, there are huge disc golf organizations and even national championships for these disc-totting athletes.
18. Ladybugs Are Basically Royalty Here
Thanks to the efforts of a 2nd grade class in the 70s, the ladybug is the state bug of Delaware. Ladybugs are actually more important than one might think, as they can eat up to 60 crop-destroying aphids a day.
19. Driving Across Delaware Is A Breeze
In a state that ranges from being 9 to 35 miles wide, trips to the shoreline never take much time.
20. Saying “Wawa” Is, In No Way, Baby-Talk
To out-of-towners, Wawa might just seem like any other convenient store, but to Delawareans, it’s a way of life. With delicious coffee, it’s the perfect way to start any day.
21. Georgia Isn’t The Only “Peach State”
Delaware is sometimes called the peach state as well, thanks to its state flower being a peach blossom. These pink petals add the perfect touch of color to the landscape when they’re in bloom.
22. There’s A Reason Every Bank Seems To Be Headquartered In Delaware
Due to certain state laws, Delaware is sometimes said to be as lenient with regards to banking as the Cayman Islands. That’s why so many banks call this state home.
23. Delawareans Are Pretty Stinkin’ Smart
If an out-of-towner is visiting Delaware, they might be shocked by how well-spoken everyone seems to be. It’s because Delaware has some of the highest education rates in the country and a higher percentage of PhDs than any other state.
24. Delaware Might Be Small, But Its State Fair Isn’t
While the total population of Delaware is around only 900,000 people, over 300,000 attend the local state fair every year. It’s the perfect place to find pretty much any deep-fried food imaginable.
25. Delaware’s Small Size Doesn’t Slow Down It’s Beer Production
The craft beer industry in Delaware is a step above the rest.
It’s best known brewery is probably Dogfish Head in Milton, which produces around 175,000 barrels a year, the equivalent to 700 million bottles. To put those numbers in perspective, that’s enough for everyone in the state to drink more than two beers per day.
26. Despite Its Tiny Size, Delaware Could Really Be Two States
Delaware culture consists in two halves. The upper half is closer to Philadelphia and this proximity impacts life as would be expected.
However, the lower half of Delaware is full of farm land and much more conservative, often referred to as the Slower Lower due to its more relaxed pace of life.
27. Sunday Bloodies Are A Pretty Big Deal
After a week of partying, every Delawarean knows the perfect way to cap a weekend is with a Bloody Mary on Sunday morning. Tons of bars have their own special blend, especially in the Dewey Beach area, where The Starboard seems to reign king.
28. Delawareans Loving Cheering For Their Blue Rocks
Wilmington is home to the Blue Rocks minor league baseball team, now affiliated with the Kansas City Royals. It might not have the same crowds as a major league game, but that doesn’t keep Delawareans from rocking the powder blue.
29. Not All East Coast States Have Hills
The 7th flattest state in the country, one could say the Delaware is as flat as a pancake. Don’t expect to do much sledding here if there’s a nice snowfall.
30. Delaware’s “Diamond State” Nickname Can Be A Little Misleading
While Delaware is known as the Diamond State, it isn’t because it’s full of diamonds. The nickname came about when Thomas Jefferson said it was a “jewel” among the rest of the country due to its strategic coastline location.
What do you have to explain to out-of-towners about Delaware? Tell us in the comments below! 
