Translation Tuesday: Bible Belt
I realized yesterday that I mentioned the Bible Belt, but I haven’t mentioned in a previous post what exactly the Bible Belt means. The Bible Belt is one of the many, many, MANY nicknames for the American Southeast. And as the name might suggest, it has to do with the strong sense of religion that flows through the region.
Having grown up in Ohio, there was lots of religious diversity, but there was a strong emphasis on Catholicism. I mean a fish fry all the time during Lent and lots of church festivals in June. Down here in the South there is a heavy emphasis on mainstream Protestant church branches, with Baptists being the biggest group, but Methodist and Presbyterian are pretty popular too. They also have a tendency to be strongly conservative. Going to church is a very strong part of the culture. I will never forget when I moved for my first job post-grad school, I must have been invited to no less than 8 different churches in the first two weeks of arriving. One invitation coming while checking out of line at the grocery store! I always find it interesting that we pray before football games, even at state schools. It is just part of the culture here.
Check out this image to get the idea:
Anyone have a different definition of the Bible Belt?
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