Things only people from PA say or do
From snack brand loyalty to church basement pierogi fundraisers, Pennsylvania runs on community, tradition, and apparently a lot of carbs.
I may be biased, but I think Pennsylvania is a state with a lot of personality. Yes, we have our rolling hills, steel towns, and Amish buggies—but we also have fierce rivalries on either side of the state (Eagles vs. Steelers, Wawa vs. Sheetz) and know that potato chip making is an art form. Here are 10 of Pennsylvania’s quirks that make our state unique—the bits of culture that show up in our everyday habits that feel completely routine but are actually pretty special.
Call the state by its postal abbreviation
Rather than saying the whole name of the state—“Pennsylvania”—locals prefer to call it “PA,” as in “PEE-AY,” the state’s postal abbreviation, in spoken conversation.
Other states might use abbreviations casually, but none have quite the same ring to them when spoken aloud. Sure, Ohio could be “OH!” but then you’d have bigger problems (like living in Ohio).
Have deep-seated beliefs about a convenience store rivalry
For decades, a battle has waged between Sheetz and Wawa, two convenience store giants offering hot, made-to-order gas station food. And there’s no sign of the conflict ending anytime soon. Wawa dominates the east, while Sheetz rules the west, and their fanbases are fiercely loyal.
Personally, I’m all in on Sheetz. One of these store names sounds like baby talk, and the other ends with a “z,” which is the height of cool if you ask 9-year-old me. And also current me.
Buy beer and wine at separate stores, usually
You know how you go on vacation outside of Pennsylvania and can buy alcohol at gas stations or grocery store checkouts? So weird. Thanks to the powerful Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, state-owned Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores are (generally) the only places in Pennsylvania where you can buy liquor, though wine and beer purchases can be made at some grocery stores, as long as you go through a separate checkout line. For outsiders, this is a strange inconvenience, but for Pennsylvanians, it’s just another errand.
Have a unique plural you
Western Pennsylvania has “yinz” and Eastern Pennsylvania has “youse,” which are both unique plural forms of “you” that most regions of the country simply don’t have, save for the “y’all” of the South. Yinz comes from the Scots-Irish phrase “you ones,” while “youse” evolved from Irish American influence. You might hear them in day-to-day conversation like: “Yinz headed dahntahn?” or “Youse guys want hoagies?”
Eat more pretzels than the rest of the country
Pennsylvania produces more than 80% of the pretzels sold in the United States (from 45 pretzel companies!), so it’s no surprise that state residents also consume more pretzels than denizens of other states do. In fact, it’s said that the average Philly resident eats 12 times as many pretzels as the average American (though according to pretzel professionals, the stat is unverified). Still, we can attribute this reputation to the iconic soft pretzels sold on street corners, outside stadiums, and in local bakeries across the city.
Be committed to a local potato chip company
Pennsylvanians don’t just love pretzels—they love a good snack food in general, often pledging allegiance to specific potato chip brands. See, Pennsylvania snack loyalty runs deep, especially with small, family-owned chip companies that you can probably only find in central or southeastern Pennsylvania. We’re talking smaller chip makers like Middleswarth, Martin’s, and Dieffenbach’s, though bigger brands like Utz, Snyder’s of Hanover, and Herr’s were also born in Pennsylvania.
Buy pierogies from a church basement
Western Pennsylvanians know that the best pierogies don’t come from the freezer aisle, but from church ladies selling them out of parish basements. These fundraisers, often run by Eastern European congregations, connect directly to the state’s immigrant roots while also supporting the local community.
Spend spring Fridays at the local fire hall
Other states with large Catholic populations have fish on Fridays during Lent, but in Pennsylvania, Friday fish fry events are true community traditions. What seems like entire towns show up to the fire hall or church kitchen during fish fry season, not just for a fish plate or breaded cod sandwich, but for sides like homemade coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, and haluski—plus the opportunity to yap with their neighbors.
Throw weddings at the fire hall
Speaking of the local fire department, the same fire halls that host fish fries often double as venues for wedding receptions and other social events. They’re affordable to rent and easy to decorate with a personal touch. Sure, other states have rentable fire halls too, but the fire hall wedding tradition is ubiquitous in small-town Pennsylvania, thanks to a mixture of thriftiness and community spirit.
Be home to a unique American subculture
Like the Cajun French in Louisiana, Pennsylvania is home to a distinctive subculture that developed in the United States with its own language, heritage, and traditions: The Pennsylvania Dutch. Despite the name, they’re not Dutch but German, and their influence still shapes Pennsylvania today—from eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day to hex sign folk art and hearty country cooking. While many outsiders equate the Pennsylvania Dutch with the Amish, the community is much broader, including Mennonites and other German-speaking settlers whose culture and traditions continue to leave their mark across the state.
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