Culture in Boston facts for kids
The culture of Boston is special and has a lot in common with the rest of New England. People in Boston often speak with a unique Boston accent, which is a part of American English. The city has its own special slang words that have been around for a long time. Boston has always been a big home for Irish families moving to America. Because of this, Irish Americans have had a huge impact on Boston's government and churches, and on the whole state of Massachusetts.
Many people think Boston is a very cultured city. This is probably because it's known for its smart people and universities. The famous writer Mark Twain once said that in Boston, people care most about "How much does he know?" A lot of Boston's culture comes from its many universities and colleges.
Performing Arts
Boston has many beautiful theaters, especially in the Boston Theater District. You can find places like the Boston Opera House and the Boch Center. These theaters host amazing shows. There are also professional theater groups like the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge and the Huntington Theatre Company. Smaller theater groups are all over the city. The Boston Ballet is a famous dance company known around the world.
You can often see street performers showing off their talents near Quincy Market. Every summer, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company puts on free plays by Shakespeare on the Boston Common.
Boston is also a big music city. It's home to famous bands like Boston and Aerosmith. It also has world-class orchestras like the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the popular Boston Pops. Other great music groups include the Boston Philharmonic and the Handel and Haydn Society, which is one of the oldest singing groups in the U.S.
Important music places include Jordan Hall and Symphony Hall. Boston also has excellent music schools. These include the New England Conservatory of Music for classical and jazz, the Boston Conservatory for classical music and dance, and the Berklee College of Music for jazz and modern music. Every two years, Boston hosts the Boston Early Music Festival, which brings together people who love old music.
In the 1980s, music manager Maurice Starr helped start the careers of famous boybands like New Edition and New Kids on the Block, both from Boston. The city also has a lively underground music scene with many local musicians. Boston is even one of the birthplaces of hardcore punk music. In the 1990s, it had a strong ska-punk scene with bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The punk rock band Dropkick Murphys is well-known for its songs about Boston sports teams, especially the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins.
Boston was also a center for indie rock and post-punk music in the 1980s and 1990s. Bands like The Cars, Pixies, and The Lemonheads came from or were big in Boston. The city is also known for its Hip Hop scene, with rappers like Guru and ED O.G..
Today, Boston has many music venues that host local bands and national touring acts. Some popular clubs include The Middle East and The Paradise. Local newspapers and websites help support this music scene.
Visual Arts
Boston has many museums where you can see amazing art. These include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the beautiful Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Many universities like Harvard University and Boston University also have their own art museums and galleries.
You can find many art galleries on Newbury Street, in the South End, and in the Fort Point Channel area. The Boston Sculptors Gallery is one of the few galleries in the country that focuses only on sculptures.
The Boston Cyberarts Gallery shows off cool "high-tech" and experimental art. The Boston Public Library (BPL) and the Boston Athenæum also have large art collections and often host cultural events and exhibits.
Every March, Boston hosts the Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX East. This is one of the biggest gatherings for gamers and video game companies. It brings huge crowds to the Boston Convention Center each year.
Events
Boston hosts several big events every year. One of the most famous is the Boston Marathon. This is one of the oldest and most respected marathon races in the world. It happens on the third Monday in April. Professional runners from all over the world come to compete. Hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch and cheer for the runners.
Boston was also the first major city to host the annual First Night festival on New Year's Eve. It's a huge arts and activity festival that brings in over 1.5 million people. It started in 1976 and has been copied by cities worldwide. The Saint Patrick's Day Parade in March is very popular, especially with Boston's large Irish population.
The Boston LGBT Pride parade and festival attracts about 400,000 people each June. The Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival also takes place in June. During the summer, you can enjoy music performances at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on the South Boston waterfront. Also in the summer is Harborfest, a week-long festival celebrating American independence. On July Fourth, fireworks light up the sky over the Charles River Esplanade. The Boston Pops plays classical and patriotic music during the fireworks show.
The Boston Film Festival is held every year in early September. The weekend after Labor Day, the shops on Newbury Street close, and over thirty art galleries display their art outside during Art Newbury Street.
From June to September each year, Boston's North End neighborhood holds celebrations for several Roman Catholic saints. These "feasts" include Italian foods, religious services, parades, games, and live music. The biggest celebration is the Feast of Saint Anthony in August.
In October, the Boston Book Festival takes over Copley Square. This free event promotes reading and new ideas. It features authors, talks, live music, and activities for all ages. The Boston Book Festival also has "Hubbub," a special festival just for kids, with author visits, storytelling, and creative workshops.
Food
Boston's food is similar to other New England food. It often uses a lot of seafood and dairy products. Some of its most famous dishes are New England clam chowder, fish and chips (usually with cod or scrod), baked beans, lobsters, steamed clams, and fried clams.
Boston has many restaurants, including those serving food from different countries. Since the 1980s, Boston's food scene has become much better, thanks to famous chefs like Jasper White and Todd English. The influence of Julia Child, a famous TV chef who lived nearby, is still felt today.
The Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant that is still open in the United States. You can get fresh oysters from their oyster bar, New England clam chowder, and other seafood dishes there. Quincy Market, which is part of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, has many different restaurants and food shops. The Cheers bar, famous from the TV show, is also a popular place for tourists to eat.
Boston's Chinatown has many Asian restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. You can find Chinese dim sum, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai food in this neighborhood.
The North End is known as Boston's "Little Italy." It has many Italian restaurants, pizzerias, and bakeries. A favorite spot for tourists is Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street, famous for its cannolis. Newbury Street has many outdoor cafes. Copley Place and the Prudential Center have many restaurants, including a food court and Legal Sea Foods, a popular New England seafood restaurant.
For many years, Boston has had an outdoor market called Haymarket that is open two days a week. Vendors at Haymarket sell fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish. You can also buy meat and cheese from nearby stores. There are also other farmers markets around Boston and its suburbs.
Boston has a strong local food scene, using fresh ingredients from New England farms. You can find over 27 outdoor farmers markets and several winter markets. The Boston Local Food Festival in September is a great place to try local foods.
African American Culture
African American culture in Boston is very rich. Blue Hill Avenue runs through the neighborhoods of Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury, which have large African American communities. Along the avenue, you'll find many hair and nail salons, as well as Chinese, Caribbean, and soul food restaurants. There are also many community centers, like the Mattahunt, which is an elementary school with after-school and summer camp programs. You can also find Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCAs. The Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts in Dorchester has been teaching jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap, African, and modern dance since the late 1960s. The Franklin Park Zoo is also located on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester.
Religion
Boston has been an important religious center since it was founded. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston serves almost 300 churches. Its main church is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (built in 1875) in the South End. The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has its main church at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (built in 1819). The Unitarian Universalist Association has its main office in Boston. The Christian Scientists have their headquarters at the Mother Church (built in 1894) in Back Bay.
The oldest church in Boston is King's Chapel. It was the city's first Anglican church, started in 1686, and became Unitarian in 1785. Other famous churches include Christ Church (better known as Old North Church, built in 1723), which is the oldest church building in the city. Also notable are Trinity Church (1733), Park Street Church (1809), and Old South Church (1874).
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Kings Chapel, the oldest church in Boston.
