Appalachian culture

Smoky Mountain heritage

Appalachian culture refers to the traditions, customs, and way of life in the Appalachian Mountain region of the eastern United States, stretching from New York to Georgia.

The culture blends Scots-Irish, English, German, and Cherokee influences, producing distinctive music (bluegrass, old-time fiddle), crafts (quilting, woodworking), dialect, and foodways.

Stereotypes of backwardness and poverty have long obscured the region's rich artistic heritage and strong sense of place: Her grandmother taught her the old Appalachian ballads.

The culture emphasizes self-reliance, family ties, and connection to the land.

Related

clogging · quilt patterns · heritage tourism · dulcimer · herbal remedies · Blue Ridge Mountains · banjo · neighborliness · family reunions · self-reliance · apple butter · proverbs · company towns · ghost stories · storytelling circles · bluegrass · ramps · front porch

Opposites
geographic/regional identity

Appalachian culturecoastal culture

Traditions of shoreline communities

California culture · beach culture · Florida culture · Hawaiian culture

urbanization and modernity

Appalachian cultureurban culture

Metropolitan community norms

city life · suburban culture · hipster culture

socioeconomic perception

Appalachian cultureelite culture

Prestigious aesthetic traditions

high society · bourgeois culture

Family

Appalachian, Appalachia

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Mostly American · Timeless · Rated G