7 Weird And Wacky Holiday Traditions You'll Only Get If You're From Arkansas

Whether it be for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or really any special day), deep-fried turkey is a delicious southern staple for celebrations. Arkansans know how to do it right too; we are not on a list for top states with most deep-fried turkey accidents. Way to go, us!

Arkansans can get creative with showing a festive love of deer season. Maybe it's a playful display of a snowman hunting the lit-up deer, or maybe some of the decorations seem to be target deer instead of a standard store-bought Santa.

The secret state pie of Arkansas certainly isn't kept secret after supper. Also known as a Four-Layer Delight, this confection is made up of a butter-pecan crust, a cream cheese layer, a chocolate layer, and topped with a whipped cream layer sprinkled with toasted pecans. It's a perfectly sweet way to celebrate the holidays.

Our team pride never dies and one weird way we show our support is through holiday lights. I can almost guarantee there's at least one blow-up razorback or Santa reppin' the red and white (and I don't mean his standard suit) on your street.

Since it's peak deer season, most Arkansans are accustomed to some form of venison served during the holidays. We always find some freshly seasoned strips wrapped in our stockings.

Probably my favorite thing about Christmas morning is sopping up ridiculously delicious chocolate gravy with fresh buttermilk biscuits. The earliest recording of the gravy is believed to have come from trades with the Spanish Louisianans to the Tennessee Valley Region, which is why it stuck as an Ozark Plateau/Appalachian thing. However, the perfected recipe comes from Granny Clay of Marked Tree. One of the original cans of Granny Clay's Chocolate Gravy Mix sits in the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza.

Hoppin' Johns became a southern tradition after confederate soldiers' food supply was pillaged, all that remained was black eyed peas and pork. Each part of the meal is symbolic: the peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion.