It’s National Tennessee Day, created in 2017 by the good folks at National Day Calendar as part of their effort to give each state its own day.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, we’ve been bringing you fun facts, local history + our NOOGAtoday community playlist. Now, we want to give a little love to the state that Chattanooga calls home.
🤝 The Volunteer State | Tennessee has gone through several nicknames — from Big Bend to Hog + Hominy. But after thousands of Tennessee volunteers played a major role in the War of 1812, “the Volunteer State” stuck.
🚩 The Tri-Star | Our flag was designed by Colonel Le Roy Reeves, with 3 stars representing the Grand Divisions of Tennessee: East (you are here), Middle (hey, NASHtoday 👋) + West. The flag is designed so that no star is directly above another, the circle representing “indissoluble unity.”
🪡 Tennessee State Tartan | You know tartan, the checkered, plaid-like design on kilts? Well, Tennessee is one of a handful of states with its own tartan, acknowledging our Scottish heritage. Some of its colors are white (for the unity of the Grand Divisions), purple (for the iris, our state flower) + blue (for the mountains).
🌸 The Iris | Our state flower comes in many colors — but even though the General Assembly forgot to specify which one represented Tennessee, the purple iris (aka Blue Flag) was the obvious choice. “When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee” makes us bubble up with civic pride (and shouts out the mockingbird, our state bird).
Looking to celebrate? Switch on some Dolly, hike up through Point Park + Craven’s House for history with a view, and finish out with some Memphis dry-rub from Hillbilly Willy’s or Memphis Street BBQ. How’s that for indissoluble unity?
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