The Great State of Texas that has been our home for the past 35 years, has many unique traditions.
Some are steeped in its history and diverse cultures, many dating back to its fight for independence from Mexico — “Remember the Alamo!”
Some are more recent.
As an Aggie, my favorite one in the more recent category is the traditional Thanksgiving football game played between arch-rivals University of Texas and Texas A&M University, especially when the Aggies “beat the hell outta Texas.” While the rivalry began in 1894, the game was first played on Thanksgiving Day in 1901 and became a Thanksgiving Day tradition. During a rivalry that lasted 118 years, 61 games were played on Thanksgiving Day. Sadly, when the Aggies left for the South-East Conference “the music stopped.” There are always rumors, and hope, that this great tradition will once again be revived.
But there are plenty of other traditions to keep Texans occupied and entertained, such as stock shows and rodeos, state fairs and festivals, chili cook-offs (No beans, please!), even rattlesnake roundups. Not even the COVID-19 pandemic could keep the 2020 and 2021 “world’s largest rattlesnake roundups” in Sweetwater, Texas, from “slithering forward.”
Among the lesser-known, more quirky Texas traditions:
• Sweet tea, please.
• Whataburger at 2 a.m.
• Our pies have chili and Fritos.
• Asking for a Coke when you really want a Sprite.
• Waiting in line for barbecue, even if it runs out.
I’ll let Alex Temblador in “12 Traditions Only Texans Can Understand,” explain these to readers.
When spring arrives, a more understandable and beautiful tradition flourishes in Texas. It is when Texans of all ages flock to the highways and byways of their state, especially around the scenic “Hill Country,” to enjoy the remarkable display of wildflowers.
Especially pastoral and amazing are the carpets of bluebonnets – the Texas state flower — that decorate the sides of the roads and abound in fields nearby. Millions of photographs of children and family members sitting, walking or cavorting among the bluebonnets are treasured images in Texas family albums
Just a warning for “out-of-towners”: Don’t pick a bluebonnet. It is a “capitol” offense.*
As Christmas approaches, another Texas tradition — very reflective of Texas’ rich and diverse history and cultures — makes an appearance: Making and eating tamales.
Tamales are delicacies made of corn massa, filled with pork, chicken or beans and cheese, wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves.
In his 2016 “A Christmas Tamale Tradition,” U.S. (Texas) Senator John Cornyn describes the centuries-old history of tamales. “More recently” he then writes “the tamale tie to Christmas has solidified. Tamales have become a part of the traditional Mexican celebration of las posadas, the annual commemoration of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter before Jesus’ birth.”
A much more recent Texas Christmas tradition, one that many find heartwarming, but others frown upon, and one that certainly can be classified as one of the “keep Austin weird” rituals, is decorating trees – mostly cedar trees – along Austin area highways with ornaments, garland and miscellaneous Christmas adornments.
No one knows exactly when this ”tradition” started (some date it back to the 1990s), but it did start along Austin’s 14-mile long “Loop 360” — also known as the “Capital of Texas Highway” — a scenic highway that winds through the hills of beautiful West Austin.
During the days (and nights) before Christmas individuals and entire families “with exceptional amounts of holiday cheer” gather tree-side, bringing boxes of decorations and ladders to reach the high branches, and go to work to create what at times turn out to be “Christmas Trees” worthy of standing in one’s living room.
Whether it is legal or not is an unanswered question. However, authorities and other litter conscious and environmentally concerned groups insist that folks “un-decorate” the trees after the holidays. Also, a laudable organization, Keep Austin Beautiful, hosts a cleanup every January to pick up whatever bits and pieces of this tradition still remain.
Talking about Texas traditions, horses and horseback riding must rank high up on the list of the oldest Texas traditions. After all, cowboys (and cowgirls) are Texas.
A couple of days ago, I saw a young lady on the cedar-tree-filled median of one of our highways, joining in this Austin tradition, but doing it the Texas way.
She did not need any ladders. She was decorating the trees on horseback.
To me, it represented an interesting meld of an old and a new tradition. I stopped and asked the young lady if I could take a photo (lead image) and mention her in this story.
Elizabeth, who has been doing this for a couple of years, graciously agreed and cautioned this aging, roving “roadside reporter” several times to be very careful crossing the busy highway.
I thought I would use this story as a (long) way to wish our readers and their loved ones a Very Merry Christmas and – please, please – a much, much better New Year.
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*Not really. Just another Texas legend. According to Texas authorities, there is no specific law that prohibits picking bluebonnets. However, “picking bluebonnets on private property is illegal due to trespassing laws. It is also illegal to destroy any plant life in any Texas State Park.”
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Note: The period and number of Texas A&M and University of Texas football games played on Thanksgiving Day have been corrected.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.