Culture of Texas facts for kids
The culture of Texas is very diverse! It has been shaped by many groups of people moving to the state from the American North, West, and especially from Mexico. This mix includes people with German, Tejano (Texans of Mexican heritage), Cajun, Irish, African American, and White Southern backgrounds. These groups settled in Texas even before it became a republic and then a state.
Texans often talk about five main regions: East Texas, Central Texas, North Texas, South Texas, and West Texas. Each region has its own big cities and slightly different cultural ways. The Texas Triangle connects Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio. These three major cities are close to the center of Texas and each anchors a different cultural part of the state.
Texas shares borders with western prairies, the Deep South, and Mexico. Its culture is influenced by Hispanic, African, and Anglo traditions. You can find communities from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Mexico. There are also southern African American and White Southern populations, plus historic Native American tribes. Texas is also bigger in size and population than most countries in Europe! The United States Census Bureau places Texas in the Southern United States.
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Farming and Ranching in Texas
Texas Agriculture
Texas has the most farms and the largest amount of farmland in the United States. It ranks first for money made from livestock like cattle, and second for all farming income, right after California. Raising beef cattle is the biggest part of Texas agriculture, bringing in about $7.4 billion each year. Other important farm products are cotton, plants from greenhouses, broiler chickens, and dairy products.
Texas leads the nation in raising cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and in producing wool, mohair, and hay. Cotton is the most valuable crop grown in the state. Texas also grows a lot of cereal grains and fresh produce.
Ranch and Cowboy Culture
Texas has a strong history of ranching. This tradition has greatly influenced American cowboy culture, especially in rodeo. Texas is famous around the world for its cowboys, often seen in westerns movies and country western music. The state's rich oil tycoons have also been popular in TV shows, like the famous series Dallas.
Rodeo: The Official Sport
rodeo was made the official sport of Texas in 1997. The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the biggest rodeo in the world! It lasts for 20 days from late February to early March. The event starts with trail rides from all over the state, ending at NRG Park for a big barbecue cook-off. The rodeo features typical rodeo events, plus concerts by famous artists and carnival rides. The Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo also lasts three weeks in January and February. It has traditional rodeos, and in recent years, a cowboy rodeo and a Mexican rodeo that are very popular.
The State Fair of Texas
The huge State Fair of Texas is one of the largest state fairs in the U.S. by how many people attend. It happens every year in Dallas from late September to mid-October at Fair Park. Two big college football games are played at the Cotton Bowl during the fair. These are the Red River Rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Texas Longhorns, and the State Fair Classic. The State Fair is famous for its fried food, especially corn dogs! It's also home to the Texas Star, the tallest Ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere, and Big Tex, a 55-foot-tall cowboy statue.
Other state fairs in Texas include the North Texas State Fair in Denton, the South Texas State Fair in Beaumont, and the East Texas State Fair in Tyler.
Texas History and Stories
History of Texas
The history of Texas, especially when it was the independent Republic of Texas, is closely tied to its culture today. Frontier Texas! is a museum in Abilene that shows what life was like in the American Old West. The Texas Historical Commission works to protect historic places in Texas. The Texas State Historical Association publishes an encyclopedia called the Handbook of Texas, which covers Texas history, geography, and culture.
Did you know that in Norway, "Texas" is slang for something wild or out of control? This comes from how cowboy culture and Western stories from Texas were shown there. So, "That was totally Texas!" can mean a crazy party or a huge success!
Texas Folklore
Texas has many unique folklore stories. Most of these are connected to its history of ranching, cowboy life, the American Old West, and the Texas War of Independence. The Texas Folklore Society is one of the oldest folklore groups in the U.S. Many famous American folk figures and tales are linked to Texas:
- Pecos Bill, a made-up American cowboy known for amazing feats.
- Davy Crockett, a real-life frontiersman, soldier, and politician who fought and died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
- Ottine Swamp Thing, an urban legend about a bigfoot-like swamp monster in Ottine, Texas.
Texas State Holidays
Texas celebrates several special state holidays:
- Texas Independence Day
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Day
- San Jacinto Day
- Juneteenth
- Confederate Heroes Day (a partial work day)
- Sam Houston Monument (This is a monument, not a holiday, but listed in the original text)
Arts in Texas
Architecture
Texas has many interesting buildings and styles of architecture.
Monuments & Statues
Texas is home to several important monuments and statues:
- Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Plaza
- San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
- Eiffel Tower (Paris, Texas) (a replica in Paris, Texas!)
- Mustangs of Las Colinas
Music of Texas
Texas has helped make country music popular around the world. The Texas cowboy is now a global symbol for country music. But Texas actually has many different kinds of music, including various ethnic and regional styles.
Austin is known for its lively music scene. It has more music venues per person than any other U.S. city, earning it the nickname The Live Music Capital of the World. Austin's music scene often centers around the many nightclubs on 6th Street and the annual South by Southwest festival. Austin City Limits, a long-running concert TV show, was filmed at the University of Texas at Austin. The Austin City Limits Music Festival is a big annual music and art event held in Austin.
In Houston, the annual Free Press Summer Fest is a popular music event, along with the concerts at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Famous musicians from Houston include Lyle Lovett, Beyoncé, Clint Black, and Kenny Rogers. Groups like ZZ Top also started there. The Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera are also big attractions in the Houston Theater District.
Literature
Texas has a rich history of literature, with many authors writing about the state's unique culture and history.
Sports in Texas
Texas is famous for its love of football at all levels. Watching football is a huge hobby across the state. On autumn weekends, you'll find high school games on Friday nights, college games on Saturdays (Texas has 12 top-level college teams, more than any other state!), and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans on Sundays. Texas high school football fans are incredibly passionate, and the teams often become the pride of their towns. This was shown in the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and its popular movie and TV show.
Baseball is also very popular in Texas. In Major League Baseball, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros have fans across different parts of the state. Minor league baseball games are also well-attended.
Other popular sports in Texas include golf (which can be played all year), basketball (the state's three NBA teams—the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks—have all won championships), fishing, Marching bands, and auto racing at the Texas Motor Speedway. Lacrosse, a sport originally played by some Native American tribes, is also growing. Soccer is a popular sport to play, especially for kids, but it's still growing as a spectator sport, even with three Texas teams in Major League Soccer (FC Dallas, Austin FC, and Houston Dynamo FC). Ice hockey has also become more popular in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas Stars in 1993.
Texas Media
Texas Monthly is a monthly magazine based in Austin that focuses on all things culturally Texan. It publishes articles about Texas politicians, the Texas Rangers, Texas food, and true crime stories in Texas. In 2013, the magazine even created a special writing job just for barbecue!
Texas Cuisine
Important parts of Texas food include Texas barbecue and a special mix of Southern, Mexican, American, and Southwestern foods called Tex-Mex cuisine.
Other Texas Traditions
The Texas Folklife Festival is an annual event that celebrates the many different cultures found in Texas. It's sponsored by the University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures. Thousands of people attend this three-day event each year. It features food, crafts, music, and dances from the many ethnic groups who have moved to Texas over time.
Images for kids
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The "Lone Star" Belle, postcard, around 1908.
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Big Tex, the mascot of the State Fair of Texas since 1952
