People in Alaska live far from the rest of the standard U.S. and the culture is unique to those on the edge of the world. Of course, there are differences between the city folk and those in rural areas, but overall Alaskans have these habits and will defend them to the death to an outsider. You’ll be able to spot a local a mile away once you know what habits of Alaskans you need to look for!
- Using your hand as a Map of Alaska.
US Embassy Panama/Flickr (Hand added) Alaskans will demonstrate the location of any town by making a “hand map”. It works surprisingly well, except for Kodiak is in the empty space below. Sorry, Kodiak.
- Asking if the Blueberries are Alaskan.
Paxson Woelber/Flickr Alaska blueberries are plentiful across the state in July and August. During this season, Alaskans head outdoors to fill the freezers with these small tart berries with dark purple flesh, a completely different thing than the large, sweet blueberries from the store. Year round, you will hear Alaskan asking at restaurants if the blueberry pancakes or pie are Alaskan, and once you taste the difference, you will understand why we insist on the local variety. Living in Alaska means access to these nutritional powerhouses each summer!
- Bragging that we have no snakes.
Karra Rothery Alaska has no snakes, poisonous or otherwise. The cold tends to keep out reptiles, in general, and Alaskans won’t let you forget it.
- Dividing people into “sourdoughs” and “cheechakos.”
anjuli_ayer A “sourdough” is a seasoned Alaskan who has been around a few years in the far north. Sourdoughs used to carry their personal sourdough with them so they could make pancakes and they would have to be careful it didn’t freeze. Newbies to the North are called “cheechakos” until they have made it through their first winter, and even then the more seasoned look out for them as they figure out how to handle the cold, dark, and rural conditions.
- Calling this vehicle a “snow machine.”
Arthur T. LaBar The standard name for this common mode of transportation, recreation and racing is a snow machine. Calling it a “Snow Mobile” or anything else will have you labeled a Cheechako in no time flat. This is just one of the things people do in Alaska.
- Wearing shorts as soon as it’s above zero.
Lisa Moffatt After a long, cold winter it is simply amazing how warm 0 degrees can feel. Alaskans aren’t afraid to strip down when the temperatures warm up, knowing they will have to cover up again in a few weeks due to the mosquitos.
- Getting out of the sauna to roll in the snow!
Michael Grosch When you see a little wooden building in the yard in Alaska, it’s not a shed… it’s a sauna! Sweating together has been a way of life in the North for health and hygiene, and simply warming up from a day outdoors. If it gets too hot, Alaskans aren’t afraid to take a quick roll in the snow to cool off.
- Taking off work to go fishing.
Flickr/Amber Alaskans eat a lot of salmon and always have. Traditional “fish camps” were special spots tribes travelled to harvest the bounty of the rivers in the summer. Fishing takes precedence over all other activities. Most people don’t get to spend all summer at fish camp anymore, but anyone might call in sick at any time if they hear the salmon are running and they need to fill the freezer. Life in Alaska means taking off work is much more forgivable if you bring your boss some fresh fillets of wild caught Alaskan salmon.
- Telling your friends when the “lights are out.”
Flickr/Ron James The aurora borealis is a fairly constant presence in the night skies in the winter, but sometimes it really pumps up the volume and the show is spectacular. It is the duty of anyone who sees the phenomenon to tell people inside to come out and look up because “the lights are out”. In modern times, a volley of texts might inform you a great light show from anywhere in the area.
- Following the Iditarod.
Ralf Κλενγελ The biggest sporting event of the year in Alaska is the Iditarod, a 1000 mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. You can’t quite escape the conversation about who is in what place, and how long they’ve been at the rest stop. Following the current status of the leaders in the paper, on the news and now with the app, Alaskans are ready for this statewide watercooler topic.
- Knowing what to say when someone asks if you “live in an igloo.”
Jaszek Invariably, when someone hears that you’re an Alaskan, the first question they ask is about your housing and whether it is made of snow. No one ever actually lives in an igloo, as they have always been temporary hunting shelters in the far north.
- Calling the contiguous states “The Lower 48.”
Nelson Minar The rest of the U.S. (not including Hawaii although it is also, obviously, “lower”) are generally referred to by this very practical term. “Contiguous” U.S. doesn’t really roll off the tongue and “continental” is just silly as Alaska is on the same continent. When leaving Alaska to visit the Lower 48, you can say you’re “going outside.”
- Telling the world that you’re an Alaskan.
JLS Photography - Alaska Most know that when travelling internationally, dropping the word Alaska usually gets you celebrity status instead of being just another American. Alaskans will tell people about their homeland at the drop of a hat, and usually have to many times a day. But luckily one of the great habits of Alaskans is their great love of talking about the awesome state.
Do you know an Alaskan who has these quirky habits? Tell us in the comments below. Are there any quirky habits of Alaskans that we missed? Let us know!
US Embassy Panama/Flickr (Hand added)
Alaskans will demonstrate the location of any town by making a “hand map”. It works surprisingly well, except for Kodiak is in the empty space below. Sorry, Kodiak.
Paxson Woelber/Flickr
Alaska blueberries are plentiful across the state in July and August. During this season, Alaskans head outdoors to fill the freezers with these small tart berries with dark purple flesh, a completely different thing than the large, sweet blueberries from the store. Year round, you will hear Alaskan asking at restaurants if the blueberry pancakes or pie are Alaskan, and once you taste the difference, you will understand why we insist on the local variety. Living in Alaska means access to these nutritional powerhouses each summer!
Karra Rothery
Alaska has no snakes, poisonous or otherwise. The cold tends to keep out reptiles, in general, and Alaskans won’t let you forget it.
anjuli_ayer
A “sourdough” is a seasoned Alaskan who has been around a few years in the far north. Sourdoughs used to carry their personal sourdough with them so they could make pancakes and they would have to be careful it didn’t freeze. Newbies to the North are called “cheechakos” until they have made it through their first winter, and even then the more seasoned look out for them as they figure out how to handle the cold, dark, and rural conditions.
Arthur T. LaBar
The standard name for this common mode of transportation, recreation and racing is a snow machine. Calling it a “Snow Mobile” or anything else will have you labeled a Cheechako in no time flat. This is just one of the things people do in Alaska.
Lisa Moffatt
After a long, cold winter it is simply amazing how warm 0 degrees can feel. Alaskans aren’t afraid to strip down when the temperatures warm up, knowing they will have to cover up again in a few weeks due to the mosquitos.
Michael Grosch
When you see a little wooden building in the yard in Alaska, it’s not a shed… it’s a sauna! Sweating together has been a way of life in the North for health and hygiene, and simply warming up from a day outdoors. If it gets too hot, Alaskans aren’t afraid to take a quick roll in the snow to cool off.
Flickr/Amber
Alaskans eat a lot of salmon and always have. Traditional “fish camps” were special spots tribes travelled to harvest the bounty of the rivers in the summer. Fishing takes precedence over all other activities. Most people don’t get to spend all summer at fish camp anymore, but anyone might call in sick at any time if they hear the salmon are running and they need to fill the freezer. Life in Alaska means taking off work is much more forgivable if you bring your boss some fresh fillets of wild caught Alaskan salmon.
Flickr/Ron James
The aurora borealis is a fairly constant presence in the night skies in the winter, but sometimes it really pumps up the volume and the show is spectacular. It is the duty of anyone who sees the phenomenon to tell people inside to come out and look up because “the lights are out”. In modern times, a volley of texts might inform you a great light show from anywhere in the area.
Ralf Κλενγελ
The biggest sporting event of the year in Alaska is the Iditarod, a 1000 mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. You can’t quite escape the conversation about who is in what place, and how long they’ve been at the rest stop. Following the current status of the leaders in the paper, on the news and now with the app, Alaskans are ready for this statewide watercooler topic.
Jaszek
Invariably, when someone hears that you’re an Alaskan, the first question they ask is about your housing and whether it is made of snow. No one ever actually lives in an igloo, as they have always been temporary hunting shelters in the far north.
Nelson Minar
The rest of the U.S. (not including Hawaii although it is also, obviously, “lower”) are generally referred to by this very practical term. “Contiguous” U.S. doesn’t really roll off the tongue and “continental” is just silly as Alaska is on the same continent. When leaving Alaska to visit the Lower 48, you can say you’re “going outside.”
JLS Photography - Alaska
Most know that when travelling internationally, dropping the word Alaska usually gets you celebrity status instead of being just another American. Alaskans will tell people about their homeland at the drop of a hat, and usually have to many times a day. But luckily one of the great habits of Alaskans is their great love of talking about the awesome state.
Learn more about the people of our great state and find out 15 Things Alaska Does Better Than Everyone Else.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Alaska, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Habits Of Alaskans June 17, 2020 Megan McDonald What are weird things that Alaskans do? Due to the geography of our state, we are pretty isolated and this gorgeous land is a place all to itself. Because of that, we do things differently than the lower 48. Notably, we’re more casual in our dress and every day life; in fact, some Alaskans get married in Xtratuf’s, and flannel is very popular in our state. We also are accustomed to some pretty cold temperatures, so when the thermometer hits above freezing, you’ll see many Alaskans embracing the “warm weather” and throw on some shorts and flip flops. This would seem pretty weird to the rest of the country. How is Alaska different from the lower 48? Besides the obvious differences of extreme temperatures and geography that you don’t see anywhere else in the United States, Alaskans are overall a more relaxed bunch. Outside of Anchorage municipality, you won’t really see rush hour traffic here unless its Alaskans coming home from a weekend of fishing and camping, or there’s construction blocking that two lane highway. Our “dollar menu” has had its named changed to “value menu,” and it’s never cheaper than $1.99. No matter where you go in Alaska, you are a short drive away from miles and miles of empty wilderness to explore. Alaskans are a special breed, especially because of their amazing generosity. Someone need help getting their car out of a ditch? You’ll have dozens of offers before you even have time to call a tow truck. We’re a hardy, fun loving, caring bunch.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Habits Of Alaskans
June 17, 2020
Megan McDonald
What are weird things that Alaskans do? Due to the geography of our state, we are pretty isolated and this gorgeous land is a place all to itself. Because of that, we do things differently than the lower 48. Notably, we’re more casual in our dress and every day life; in fact, some Alaskans get married in Xtratuf’s, and flannel is very popular in our state. We also are accustomed to some pretty cold temperatures, so when the thermometer hits above freezing, you’ll see many Alaskans embracing the “warm weather” and throw on some shorts and flip flops. This would seem pretty weird to the rest of the country. How is Alaska different from the lower 48? Besides the obvious differences of extreme temperatures and geography that you don’t see anywhere else in the United States, Alaskans are overall a more relaxed bunch. Outside of Anchorage municipality, you won’t really see rush hour traffic here unless its Alaskans coming home from a weekend of fishing and camping, or there’s construction blocking that two lane highway. Our “dollar menu” has had its named changed to “value menu,” and it’s never cheaper than $1.99. No matter where you go in Alaska, you are a short drive away from miles and miles of empty wilderness to explore. Alaskans are a special breed, especially because of their amazing generosity. Someone need help getting their car out of a ditch? You’ll have dozens of offers before you even have time to call a tow truck. We’re a hardy, fun loving, caring bunch.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Due to the geography of our state, we are pretty isolated and this gorgeous land is a place all to itself. Because of that, we do things differently than the lower 48. Notably, we’re more casual in our dress and every day life; in fact, some Alaskans get married in Xtratuf’s, and flannel is very popular in our state. We also are accustomed to some pretty cold temperatures, so when the thermometer hits above freezing, you’ll see many Alaskans embracing the “warm weather” and throw on some shorts and flip flops. This would seem pretty weird to the rest of the country.
How is Alaska different from the lower 48?
Besides the obvious differences of extreme temperatures and geography that you don’t see anywhere else in the United States, Alaskans are overall a more relaxed bunch. Outside of Anchorage municipality, you won’t really see rush hour traffic here unless its Alaskans coming home from a weekend of fishing and camping, or there’s construction blocking that two lane highway. Our “dollar menu” has had its named changed to “value menu,” and it’s never cheaper than $1.99. No matter where you go in Alaska, you are a short drive away from miles and miles of empty wilderness to explore.
Alaskans are a special breed, especially because of their amazing generosity. Someone need help getting their car out of a ditch? You’ll have dozens of offers before you even have time to call a tow truck. We’re a hardy, fun loving, caring bunch.
