November is filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of winter’s approach. Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season, and celebrations abound in every South Carolina community. Family, food, music, and dance are a few small things that make this time of year special, giving us the perfect opportunity to introduce two more South Carolina symbols – our state Folk Dance and our state Wild Game Bird.

SQUARE DANCE		WILD TURKEY

November & December’s Featured Symbols:

• SC State Folk Dance: Square Dance – Square dancing is fun for the whole family and has long been enjoyed in South Carolina. Originally formed as a combination of dance styles brought to America from across Western Europe, square dance has been adapted to include dozens (if not hundreds) of steps.
• SC State Wild Game Bird: Wild Turkey – Before you dig into that Thanksgiving feast, take a moment to learn about our State Game Bird, the Wild Turkey. These noble creatures are one of only two native fowl to have been domesticated in North America. Each bird can have up to 6,000 feathers, and Benjamin Franklin wished they had been chosen to represent our nation in lieu of that “lazy” and “lousy” Bald Eagle. (And just in case you decide you like the turkey too much to eat him, we’ve included a link to Compassionate Thanksgiving Recipes too!)

October brings to a close hatching season for South Carolina’s state reptile, the Loggerhead Turtle. Under the watchful eyes of dedicated volunteers, nests could be seen “boiling” along the SC coast as recently as last week. In fact, it is estimated that some 3,000 nests were found on our shores in 2008 alone. Each nest consists of as many as 125 eggs, but sadly only a handful of young turtles survive into adulthood. Because they rely on the moon’s reflection to lead them to the sea, they are often confused by man-made lights coming from beachfront homes and street lamps, which lead them in the opposite direction. Loggerheads have been on the threatened species list since 1978.

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE		EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL

On the flip side, this month’s issue of SCIway News also introduces our state butterfly, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. From around mid-September through the end of October each year, butterflies flutter over South Carolina in abundance. There are dozens of varieties that flourish here, each adding color to fall’s remaining flowers. Take a moment to visit these new state symbols pages, filled with interesting facts and beautiful pictures.

October’s Featured Symbols:

• SC State Reptile: Loggerhead Turtle – Named for their large, log-shaped heads, males of this species are rarely, if ever, seen on land. Females come ashore to nest each year – amazingly on the exact same beach on which they themselves were born! Learn more about this incredible reptile by clicking the above link.
• SC State Butterfly: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – You have probably seen these beautiful creatures with their yellow wings and bold, black stripes, floating through your lawn or garden. This is the time of year when they come out in droves to sip nectar from the flowers of early fall. Click above to learn more about the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

In keeping with our ongoing look at state symbols, and given the tasty nature of this month’s “beverage” issue of SCIway News, it is our pleasure to announce the two newest additions to our State Symbols guide – South Carolina’s state drinks. No, that’s not a typo. We actually have two: Our official state beverage is milk, while our official state hospitality beverage is tea.

South Carolina is one of only two states in America to feature multiple state beverages, but we share milk with 18 other states. We are currently the only state to feature tea however – and for a very good reason! The Charleston Tea Plantation, located on Wadmalaw Island, is the only place in America to produce black tea commercially.

Use the links below to learn more about these important state symbols.

September’s Featured Symbols:

• SC State Beverage: Milk - Most of us grow up on milk. We receive it in some form immediately after birth and are encouraged to drink it throughout our many stages of growth. However, did you know that South Carolina has close to 90 dairy farms? We encourage you to visit our new South Carolina milk page to learn more about one of this month’s featured state symbols.
• SC State Hospitality Beverage: Tea - Tea is one of the most widely-loved beverages in the world. It can be enjoyed with any meal or as an afternoon treat. South Carolina has attempted to grow tea on a large scale since the 1800s, and has at last achieved success via American Classic. Visit our SC Tea Guide to learn more about the history of tea our state.
  

If you’re like us, you may recall sitting in third grade history class reciting a long list of state symbols. They’ve probably been reduced to trivia status in your mind now, if you can bring them to mind at all. (Did they ever really expect us to remember the State Amphibian?)

Hopefully our recent articles on South Carolina’s State Songs and State Dance refreshed your memory a little. Our research for them got us thinking that perhaps all of our state symbols deserve another look.

“The Palmetto State” has no less than 30 such designations, which seems like quite a lot. Of course, making something an official state symbol doesn’t inherently change its worth, but it does illuminate a little piece of South Carolina that has helped to shape our identity. Each symbol, no matter how trivial it may initially seem, reveals a tidbit of our culture or history that is worth revisiting.

For the next several months, we’ll be highlighting these symbols in SCIway News. And don’t worry – there won’t be any quizzes this time around. With the pressure off, hopefully you’ll enjoy learning some neat facts that may not have been in your history books!

August’s Featured Symbols:

• SC State Stone: Blue Granite - Far from being just a nice countertop surface, this blue-grey stone was declared the “Silk of the Trade” after being quarried in Fairfield County for more than 50 years. Indeed, entire homes and churches in Fairfield are built of Blue Granite! Learn more about our state stone, its ties to early SC railroads, and its many uses in SC.
• SC State Fruit: The Peach - We’re in the throes of peach season now, and frequent stops at road-side stands are definitely warranted! Visit this page to learn more about the history of peaches in our state, and even have some SC peaches delivered straight to your door!