Seasonal Customs

_{What’s the most interesting local custom you’ve encountered?}

There are many interesting local customs in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, and in my community the “porch culture” really comes to life during spring and summer. Neighbors gather on front porches, curbs and sidewalks or in front gardens to sip iced tea or wine, then casually catch up with friends as the sun sets. We’re in an older neighborhood, which creates an informality where everyone knows the names of pets, what’s taking place with gardening projects, and the local news without needing a formal event.

Another uniquely local tradition within the DMV [DC, Maryland and Virginia] is our obsession with blue crabs and crab feast. I cannot wait to spread newspapers across the deck tables, where everyone will spend hours cracking open steamed crabs coated in Old Bay seasoning. It’s slow, messy, loud and very social …… it’s possibly more about conversation and the ritual of pounding crabs with a mallet than the meal itself.