Philadelphians have some quirks that make them unique. When you live in Philadelphia, you might drop necessary prepositions from your sentences, pick funny-shaped, stale soft pretzels as a favorite snack, and use the word “jawn” as a replacement noun — as in, “last night I went to an awesome jawn (party).” Philly living also means loving the local traditions, from decorating the house to visiting festival after festival.

Every Holiday Deserves Decorations

People who live in Philadelphia take the time to dress up their windows and houses for pretty much every holiday. While those who live elsewhere are content to hang some lights for the winter holidays or putting up a tree, it’s not uncommon to see people going all out to decorate for holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and even New Year’s Day in Philly.

While every holiday is worthy of decorations, the winter holidays are when people in Philly pull out all the stops. If you live in Philadelphia, you know that Kindy’s Christmas Outlet is the place to go for lights, trees, and pretty much any other decorative object. From October until January, you love to stroll around South Philadelphia to see the lights that stretch across the streets and the elaborate, block-long decorations.

Planning for a Party is a Juggling Act

Philly locals always get a laugh when they hear someone, obviously not from around here, ask where the beer is at the grocery store. In Philadelphia, and throughout PA, you can’t buy beer or any alcohol at the supermarket. You also can’t buy beer in the same store that sells wine or liquor. That means party planning involves running around to several stores. You also have to make sure to stock up or buy extra, because if you run out of beverages during the party, you’ll be out of luck. Most state-run liquor stores close at 9 p.m., though some close as early as 7 p.m.

Summer Means Block Parties

If you’ve never been to a block party, you don’t really live in Philly. In the summer, seeing inflatable bouncy castles, DJ stands, and grills out on residential streets on a weekend day is not uncommon. The streets are blocked off for the day, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hosting a block party means filling out an application from the city’s Streets Department, getting everyone on the block to agree to it, and paying a small fee. For many in Philly, the red tape is worth it, as it means a day to enjoy the block and spend time with the neighbors.

You Never Get Tired of Festivals

Philly is a city of celebration. When the temperatures climb, Philadelphians like to celebrate by holding several festivals each week. In the spring, things kick off with the Italian Market Festival in South Philly. At the end of summer, the 2nd Street Festival takes over Northern Liberties for the day. There are also plenty of music festivals in the city, like the Made in America festival on Labor Day, the 104.5 Summer Block Party, the WHYY Connections Festival in September, and the 40th Street Summer Series.

Living in Philadelphia is a thing — or rather, jawn — to celebrate. By decorating for each and every holiday and holding block parties just for the sake of having one, Philadelphians show that they are proud of their city and are happy to enjoy it.

Photo Source: Flickr

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