When is National Hillbilly Day?
National Hillbilly Day is July 4th.
What is National Hillbilly Day?
Dag nab it! You don’t have to live up yonder mountain to enjoy life in the hills. National Hillbilly Day is a fun day to celebrate the independence and gumption of hillbilly culture.
While some people use the word unkindly, “hillbilly” isn’t always received as an insult. Many hillbillies use it to describe themselves and their families. Sure, the stereotype carries a suggestion of poverty and social backwardness, but hillbillies know that’s only half the story.
So what in tarnation is a hillbilly? Well, it’s a loose term, but it broadly refers to mountain-dwelling people whose isolation results in a different culture from mainstream America. Hillbillies are resourceful, independent, proud folks. Many live in Appalachia, but you can find them anywhere that people live isolated lives in the mountains.
Though folks raise money for charity by holding Hillbilly Days on different days throughout the year, National Hillbilly Day itself falls on July 4th, along with Independence Day. And that’s fitting. So be free, be proud, be resourceful, and celebrate the American hillbilly on National Hillbilly Day.
Fun facts about National Hillbilly Day!
- Dolly Parton grew up with 11 siblings in a 1-room cabin in the backwoods of East Tennessee.
- Popular depictions of hillbillies like Hillbilly Elegy show drug addiction and domestic violence, but many hillbillies are in fact kind, honest, hard-working people.
- The early European settlers of Appalachia were mostly German and Scotch-Irish groups.
How to celebrate National Hillbilly Day:
- Have yourself a little BBQ. Catch some sort of varmint, fire up the grill, and cook it. If you’re not keen on that, at least cook you some burgers. Grill some taters and cook up a mess of collard greens while you’re at it.
- Dress like a hillbilly. Pull out the jeans and an old hat. Or just put on the overalls and kick off your shoes.
- Go fishing in a creek. Don’t take a box of tackle that requires two men to heft. Just take a simple pole, some gas station bait, and a laid back attitude.
What’s the hashtag for National Hillbilly Day?
Use #HillbillyDay on social media to share your hillbilly extravaganza.