OXFORD HAS a better party. I am told the tailgating tents at Ole Miss are lit by chandeliers.
Baton Rouge has better food-vats of gumbo thick with blue crab. That aroma mixes with the tang of 10,000 drive-through daiquiris.
Fayetteville has a better mascot: a massive hog. Fans don plastic pig hats. I wish I had one. I would even wear it to church.
Knoxville has a better fight song; you can play it on a banjo.
Athens has better football fortune lately, with back-to-back championships. Now the Dawgs are drooling over a 2023 schedule that features mostly peewee teams, and they expect to make it three in a row.
Tuscaloosa? Well, it has legend. I recently met a man from Sri Lanka, and when I said I worked in Tuscaloosa, he knew precisely what that meant.
"Roll Tide!" he said-and then happily added, "Ha ha!"
"Roll Tide!" I replied-and then said "Ha ha!" to be polite.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Thumbs Up
Three twists on the classic chocolate-filled cookie
SUPPERTIME: Elegant Made Easy
Tender braised short ribs are fancy enough for Christmas dinner or any special occasion. Bonus: They're even make-ahead
A Big Easy Christmas
Let the good times roll in New Orleans
TIMELESS DECOR: Good as Old
Natural elements and folksy finds infuse this 1886 Georgia cottage with warm-fuzzy charm
Classic Pattern, New Spirit
Four tastemakers put their fanciful spins on an old-faithful Spode collection
MEET HER IN ST. LOUIS
Trimmed with ribbon and wrapped in wallpaper, designer Amy Studebaker's 1950s Missouri home proves there's no such thing as too much of a good thing especially this time of year
A TENNESSEE TREASURE
For nearly 115 years, The Hermitage Hotel has been Nashville's holiday mainstay
The Powerg Poinsettias
A little while back, a neighbor knocked on my door, hoisting up a ruby red plant so enormous it concealed her completely from midriff to head. I was new to the area, and this was her way of welcoming me. A poinsettia, vividly colored, overflowing its pot, and endearingly ill-timed-it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet. But the plant seemed to brighten up the whole world just a bit, as if daring anyone to reject the early holiday spirit. You could say it kick-started my love for the leafy shrub and what it seems to represent: a simple kind of goodwill.
WRAPPED WITH CARE
In San Antonio, Christmas isn't complete without a plate of steaming tamales on every family's table
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1984
Entertaining now is quite different than it was 40 years ago, but our recipes stand the test of time
