1. New Hampshirites Are Kind Of A Huge Deal In Elections
The (very) small town of Dixville Notch is the site of the very first votes cast in every presidential election. The scant 75 residents gather at midnight to cast their votes amid throngs of journalists eager to hear early polling results. Boy are they proud of it.
And even though the New Hampshire primary is the first in the nation, other states keep forcing them to move it earlier because they want the press.
In response, New Hampshire moved their primary to January to beat the wanna-be usurpers. Ah yup. Don't mess with New Hampshire politics.
2. New Hampshirites Have Never Heard Of Road Rage
Yankee practicality outweighs ego and anger, no matter what. They have places to be and things to do, so there's no reason to get up in another driver’s business when they’re pissed off.
People here might sometimes seem tight-lipped, curmudgeonly and curt, but on the road they pack it in.
You won’t see drivers flinging obscene gestures at each other here—and that's reflected in the state's driving record. The Granite State is in the top three safest states to cruise around in.
But if you're in trouble on the road, never fear, since...
3. Every New Hampshirite Would Help You Get A Tow With No Questions Asked
It may take New Hampshirites a few years to warm up to a new neighbor beyond just saying “Mornin',” but that doesn't mean that they won't go out of their way to be polite.
If your car breaks down in Peterborough, there's a good chance a local will offer to call you a tow truck—and hand you a cup of tea in a nice homemade mug while you wait.
Need a restaurant tip in Manchester? Someone will point you to a place that serves what you're craving.
Although those directions might not be too helpful, since...
4. People In New Hampshire Couldn't Give Good Directions If Their Grandma's Life Depended On It
You might have heard the phrase, “You can't get there from here.” Well, in New Hampshire, you can, it just might take a while to suss out the route. Directions in rural New Hampshire have more twists and turns than a John Irving novel and more undecipherable milestones.
With frequent references to things that don't exist anymore or have names that don't appear on your map, be prepared to ”turn left at the old LaFontaine place, and keep going on Lost Nation Road. Once you pass the big red barn that burned down a few years back, you can't miss Route 3.”
5. New Hampshirites Would Rather Worship Squirrels Than Fit In With Everyone Else
With a state motto like “Live Free or Die” it can't be surprising that New Hampshire residents are autonomous to a fault. But it's their version of “free” that really sticks out.
In the southern part of the state, “free” means working in Boston but being free from the cost of city living by going home to New Hampshire. In the north freedom is having complete privacy to do your own thing without being judged. You're free to be weird here.
Don’t believe me? Comedian A. Whitney Brown once described the state's residents as a “pack of syrup-swilling squirrel worshipers.”
6. People In New Hampshire Hate Taxes More Than Anything
New Hampshirites are the epitome of “Yankee frugality.” Even though the state has no state sales tax or personal income tax, residents still think they're taxed to death because their property tax rate is the third highest in the country.
Have a beer with a New Hampshire resident and be prepared to discuss taxes in one form or another pretty quick. They’re...uh, passionate about it.
Speaking of beer, New England residents flock to the state for the cigarettes and booze sans sales tax. They're as happy to take your money as they are happy for the tax break themselves.
7. Everyone In New Hampshire Has To Win At Being Quaint
The Deerfield Fair has been bringing out the folksy in New Hampshire for 138 years. But don't let all that friendly sunshine on brightly colored foliage distract you. Under the quaint facade lurks some cutthroat competitors.
The fair features a number of contests like horses and oxen pulls to the best pies and even the biggest pumpkins, and the people don’t mess around when it comes to beating their neighbors.
New Hampshirites may look steely and reserved, but when it comes to having the best baked goods, they go all in, and they’ll crush you for that ribbon.
8. Every New Hampshirite Is Growing Something In Their Backyard
With over 470,000 acres of working farmland in the state, the iconic image of the hardworking American farmer fits right in in New Hampshire.
Whether they’re growing humble farms of garlic and arugula or larger farms with commodity crops like corn and apples growing as far as the eye can see, there's a whole lot of produce going on in New Hampshire.
When you throw in the livestock farmers and maple sugar, the state is a cornucopia of diverse eating.
9. People In New Hampshire Have No Idea How To Pray
When you think of New Hampshire, you probably picture gorgeous Colonial-style New England churches, right? Well you should picture them empty, because the people in New Hampshire don’t actually bother to talk to the big guy upstairs very much.
New Hampshire is dead last when it comes to religious residents—and that’s according to the people themselves. In a 2012 Gallup poll only 23 percent of New Hampshirites reported themselves as “very religious,” compared with a national average of 40 percent.
Maybe it's all of that beautiful nature outside that keeps people away from the pulpits. Or maybe they all got lost trying to find Route 3.
10. New Hampshirites Know Their Home State Is Wicked Awesome
Maybe it's the endorphins from all of the hiking, skiing, farming, biking or politicking they do, but New Hampshire constantly comes up as one of the happiest places to live in the country.
High cost of living aside, people who live there love it. New Hampshire came in 9th and 8th in the annual Gallup-Healthways and Twitter Happiness, respectively.
Live Free or Die? More like “Live Free and Die Happy.”
