Mississippi Monday | Tailgating Culture
It's officially college football season, and in Mississippi people have been patiently (or impatiently) waiting on it's arrival. Fall here brings a cultural shift of tailgating, all day feasts, cowbells, hooping and hollering and much much more than just the game- and if you are from the great state of Mississippi, you know just what we mean! Football here is as much a culture as it is a game. And, many of our Thimblepress® employees, as non-Mississippians, are getting their first taste of this culture. 
If you've never been to an Ole Miss game, it definitely ranks as an experience to remember. The Grove is the 10-acre green plot on campus where tents are set up and tailgating glory happens. Feasts for days, formal wear, tv's, chandeliers, you'll see it all in The Grove, it really is a giant party. Did you know Ole Miss was ranked No. 2 best tailgating campus in the nation last year!? More on that HERE. "Hotty Toddy" is a phrase of debated origin, but say it in Oxford, Mississippi and you will get a resounding and cheerful "Hotty Toddy" right back. It's the cheer for or the greeting to any other Ole Miss fan. If you must dig deeper into the history, check out this super interesting write up on the phrase HERE. 
At Mississippi State the equivalent symbol of school pride is the cowbell! Starting as a tradition from their agricultural school roots, it's said that a Jersey cow wandered on the field during a game one night and the game concluded in an overwhelming win. The cow became a symbol of good luck and eventually rather than bringing a cow, the cowbell was adopted as the thing to bring (read more about the tradition HERE). 
This tradition is noted as far back as the 1930's and just this month State Fans shattered the Guinness Book of World Records of most cowbells rung at one time, with 5,748! Read more about that HERE. There are many more symbols and structures of importance near and dear to each school and our hearts as Mississippians- shop our whole Mississippi Collection™ HERE . And, whoever your team might be, cheers to a great season for all the teams and fans all around our great state!!
Thimbleteam members MK Sharpe, Marielle Dove and Celine Roces above in The Grove at the September 12th Ole Miss v. Fresno State game. (Note MK and Marielle sporting their Thimblepress® Hotty Toddy cups! )
So, in honor of our state's true love for football season and passion for tailgating culture, today we thought we'd share a little about just a few of our Thimblepress® Mississippi Collection artwork pieces and the symbols they represent!
If you've never been to an Ole Miss game, it definitely ranks as an experience to remember. The Grove is the 10-acre green plot on campus where tents are set up and tailgating glory happens. Feasts for days, formal wear, tv's, chandeliers, you'll see it all in The Grove, it really is a giant party. Did you know Ole Miss was ranked No. 2 best tailgating campus in the nation last year!? More on that HERE. "Hotty Toddy" is a phrase of debated origin, but say it in Oxford, Mississippi and you will get a resounding and cheerful "Hotty Toddy" right back. It's the cheer for or the greeting to any other Ole Miss fan. If you must dig deeper into the history, check out this super interesting write up on the phrase HERE. 
At Mississippi State the equivalent symbol of school pride is the cowbell! Starting as a tradition from their agricultural school roots, it's said that a Jersey cow wandered on the field during a game one night and the game concluded in an overwhelming win. The cow became a symbol of good luck and eventually rather than bringing a cow, the cowbell was adopted as the thing to bring (read more about the tradition HERE). 
This tradition is noted as far back as the 1930's and just this month State Fans shattered the Guinness Book of World Records of most cowbells rung at one time, with 5,748! Read more about that HERE. There are many more symbols and structures of importance near and dear to each school and our hearts as Mississippians- shop our whole Mississippi Collection™ HERE . And, whoever your team might be, cheers to a great season for all the teams and fans all around our great state!! 
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