Every midwestern county has its quirks. In Miami County, the quirks are the culture. We compiled the 8 quirky things that only Miami County locals do:
Collect rainwater in a bucket to bathe newborn children
If you’re from Miami County, you know the ol’ tradition that newborns should only be cleansed by the water from this cruel earth. As long as there isn’t acid rain (looking at you, Piqua), you should feel safe bathing your newborn child in rainwater. Outsiders might think this is weird, but we can assure you that nearly 78% of Miami County parents have done this to their children.
Microwave cottage cheese before bed and keep it on the nightstand all night
We all need a late-night snack from time to time, and there’s nothing that says you’re from Miami County like an early morning serving of warm cottage cheese. Sometimes, after waking up from a nightmare, locals find immediate comfort in a warm spoonful of cottage cheese. Just gulp it down and you’ll be knocked back into your sleep.
Have an absolute hatred for earthworms
Miami County locals have an extremely strong hatred for earthworms. If you know, you know. Rainy spring mornings are an absolute terror, and local schools will often have 2 hour delays so city workers can deworm the streets.
Smell like grain
If you have taken our quiz to find out which quirky Miami County Unincorporated Community you are, you’ve seen that grain was one of the few options. In fact, this is the only correct answer. All Miami County residents smell like grain, and there’s just no debate about it!
Name every type of bird they see
85% of citizens from Miami County have been birdwatching at some point in the past year, a fact that will surprise few from the area. People from other communities may be surprised, however, when they hear the sound of the Tipp City Garblers, one of the premiere youth bird-imitation teams in the country. While not everyone from Miami County can tell apart an eastern meadowlark vs a red-tailed warbler, locals will always do their best to call out the birds they see.
Have way too much stale bread around the house
It’s always a good idea to keep some stale bread around to feed to the local birds you see in Miami County, but those in the area certainly waste more bread than the average community in Ohio. This is in no small part due to the curse local shaman Jim O’Doul put on the county after local officials refused to pay up for his services in September of last year.
Call their parents Poppy and Mumu
We were surprised as anyone to find that throughout most of the United States, people refer to their parents as “Mom” and “Dad”. However, people from Miami County can’t wait to get a taste of Mumu’s homemade crow pie or put Poppy in a retirement home. If you see “Mumu” on your friend’s caller ID, you know they’re truly from Miami County.
Have a strong affinity for Yankee Candles
With the exception of locals from Piqua (which has been smelling strange lately), nearly all Miami County residents have an obsession with Yankee Candles. Miami County has the world’s highest sales of Yankee Candle’s “Irish Celebration” scent, which is a replication of the famous local scent, but has not been able to be reproduced in a lab environment.
Those are the 8 quirks that makes Miami County locals unique. If you aren’t familiar with these quirks, you probably should visit your local history center to educate yourself. Most of these traditions date back to the county’s founding in like the 1800s or whenever.
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