Defining Southern Charm

Per a 'tweet' this morning (thanks Rachel!), the question "What defines Southern Charm?" was raised. This stemmed from a Wiki article about Seersucker Thursday, a day when Senators wear seersucker suits, usually in early June and is intended to "bring a little Southern charm to the Capitol." Now, I won't argue that seersucker suits are a great example of the "Southern way," but I'm fairly confident (as is the other Rachel) that Southern charm goes beyond the light-weight blue and white stripes.

So, what is Southern charm? It's hard to define! It's just something you "know;" it's innate. As a Southerner, it's just a way of life--you don't think about it. If you're not a Southerner, it's easy to recognize that our way is different (and, ahem, better). So, I'm starting a list of what it means to me to be to be Southern and to have Southern charm. The list is by no means exhaustive, and it probably could vary from one Southern locale to the next.

• Always saying "yes ma'am" "no ma'am" "yes sir" "no sir"
• Friendliness (waving, saying "hey y'all!")--to neighbors or strangers (whether you gossip about them later, or not)
• Boys coming inside the house when picking up a girl for a date, and not just honking at the curb (and daddy having a shotgun propped up next to the door when the date walks in...)
• Entering the house through the back or side door (only strangers/Yankees/Jehovah's witnesses use the front door!)
• Ability to quote all or most of Gone With the Wind, Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias
• Double names: Rachel-Ann, Mary-Gene, John-Thomas, etc.
• Dogwoods, Magnolias, and Spanish moss
• Blues, jazz, and rock and roll
• Front porches with swings and rocking chairs. And side porches with screens and wicker furniture
• Having a second home or vacationing at the beach, in Charleston, or Savannah (or being lucky enough to live there permanently!)
• Sweet tea (and sweet-tea vodka!)
• Southern style: white gloves, seersucker, linen (all after Easter, before Labor Day, of course), big hats, floral sundresses, and pearls.
• Southern food: grits, low-country boil, Southern BBQ, collard greens, cornbread, black-eyed peas, peaches, fried chicken, homemade ice cream, potato salad, banana pudding, homemade jams (and anything else that can be canned, pickled, or preserved). I could go on and on and on.... And of course, all previously listed foods always taste 100,000x better when prepared by grandmothers

Again, I realize that this is just a small view of what Southern charm really is. And I realize that my list is biased to the Carolinas (I was so tempted to add "knowing how to Shag"). But I feel like it's a pretty good representation! Feel free to comment with anything I've missed. And you Yankees take note and try your best to pick up the good habits listed above if you ever want to be accepted by those of us raised below the Mason-Dixon line! Bless your heart.... ;)