Being a Southern Bon Vivant Means Loving Football
Bon Vivant, definition:
a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes
Southerner, definition:
a person living in the Southern United States
MY definition of a Southern Bon Vivant:
a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes who either lives in the Southern United States or has an appreciation for that culture, who understands there’s a certain duplexity to this culture
In relation to football: you can’t live in the South and consider yourself to be a Southern Bon Vivant without loving college football. Everyone here has to pick a team and you will get the blank stares if you don’t- even if it’s a small team that no one has heard of- that is acceptable.
We Southerners have an intense passion for football. When we say it is a religion here in the South we’re not being facetious- it’s serious. We will still be in church the next day, assuming too much bourbon wasn’t consumed the evening before, but Saturdays are spent at yet another alter. One in which we do still expect a blood sacrifice. Gruesome as it may sound, while we do not want our players permanently injured we do expect them to get a little bit roughed up- and that is where the blood sacrifice comes in.
On the flip side, we expect our spectators to be dressed properly- unless you’re a Gator and then all bets are off. Our ladies are clad in pearls and skirts in the colors of their teams and then men wear bow ties and seersucker pants in team colors.
In order to truly appreciate Southern culture, you have to also worship at the altar of the College Football Gods.
So, where were you yesterday? And what were you wearing? 😉 There’s always next Saturday…. see y’all then!
Love to all y’all
Molly
