By: Jared Jorden
West Virginia has the Appalachian culture, which originated during the American Civil War. This is seen mostly through its old folk music, brought by the Irish and Scottish settlers. Blues is also an important part of West Virginia’s culture, as is bluegrass and old-time country music. For more than 20 years Elkins WV, has hosted the annual Augusta Heritage Festival, which celebrates the Appalachian culture in West Virginia.
Roughly 98% of our population speaks English only however, if you’re not from here, you’ll have to pay a bit of extra attention to the dialect. West Virginians have an unmistakable Appalachian accent, which comes from the Scotch-Irish who settled here in the 18th century. It’s a twangy accent that will include phrases you’ve never heard of.
Here are some easy tips from Appalachian native Rick Wilson about how to speak the dialect. First, use redundant pronouns. “Those people, they’re all crazy.” It’s for emphasis. Proudly say the plural “y’all”. Appalachian speech even has the double plural you – “all y’all” – as in “All y’all better get off my lawn right now.” Also, make sure you pronounce “pin” and “pen” the same.
Another common theme to come across is the simplicity of life in The Mountain State. For the most part, no one here is rushing, and you won’t find any bragging attitudes among fellow West Virginians. It’s all just one big, happy, laid-back community. And the large number of small towns here help contribute to that friendly feeling, too.
Since we’re nestled right inside the Appalachian Mountain range, there’s definitely no shortage of nature-lovers. People love West Virginia to take full advantage of the scenery and mountain air. Some of the favorite pastimes include: fly fishing, whitewater rafting, skiing, golfing, camping, and mountain biking.
And all the West Virginians love their state and will defend it to the end. Locals have described their Mountain State neighbors have a “strong sense of community,” and that they are “unpretentious” and “humble.” Others even said West Virginians are pretty much the “nicest people on the planet,” and even though their state pride runs deep, they’re very welcoming to outsiders.
Almost Heaven, Almost Hell 