Kentucky is home to many cultural traditions.
There’s Kentucky bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam.
There’s Louisville, the historical seat of Jefferson County.
And there’s John Calipari and Kentucky basketball, seemingly in contention for an NCAA championship every year.
What you may not know is this:
Kentucky is officially called the “Commonwealth of Kentucky,” which denotes their status as a former English colony (Kentucky was originally part of the Commonwealth of Virginia). Although this status does not give it any separate treatment when it comes to statehood, it is shown in the relationship between their laws and the laws of England.
Kentucky is called the “bluegrass state,” due to the presence of bluegrass on its many fertile farmlands. In fact, there is the “Bluegrass Region” in central Kentucky, which houses its two first class and most populous cities in Louisville and Lexington. It is a region that has many natural resources.
There are things that Kentucky is known for, including horse racing, moonshine, and coal and, its most famous chicken franchise, Kentucky Fried Chicken.
But perhaps what Kentucky is most known for in modern times are a drink that almost everyone knows and a basketball team headed by a coach most disliked around the country, which always remains in NCAA basketball contention.
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey. It is distilled and aged in barrels, and is primarily made from corn. Although the origin of the word “bourbon” is unclear, it rose to prominence in the American south during the 1800s. By 1870, it was widely produced in Kentucky, and by 2014 it accounted for billions of dollars in revenue in the United States.
There are a few legal requirements for a liquor to be called “bourbon”:
- Made from a mixture with at least 51% corn
- Aged in new, charred oak containers and distilled at no more than 80% alcohol
- Bottled at no more than 80 proof.
In fact, bourbon doesn’t have to made in Kentucky. But it’s mostly associated with the state.
Then there is the basketball team–the Kentucky Wildcats. While their football team has been getting better in recent years, even scoring an upset over higher ranked University of Tennessee in 2017, their basketball team is the one that gets people’s attention and demands the adoration of fans all across Kentucky.
The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team is coached by John Calipari, a man much reviled throughout the country. While his coaching and recruiting tactics sometimes fall below the standards for many fans, his recruits, often young players looking to play one year and then declare for the NBA, dominate opponents on an almost nightly basis.
With Christmas season coming up, it’s always a good financial plan to start searching for gifts now rather than wait.
In a 2011 article published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, five independent studies confirm that people are more appreciative of gifts they explicitly requested. As of 2016, 55% of Americans did some of their shopping online. And a study by the American Research Group found that Americans spent more on Christmas gifts in 2016 than they did in 2015.
Last year, Americans spent on average $929 on gifts, compared to $882 in 2015.
Here are some great gift ideas, starting with University of Kentucky gifts. University of Kentucky gifts can include:
- University of Kentucky gear
- University of Kentucky hats
- University of Kentucky shirts
- University of Kentucky womens clothes
- A University of Kentucky sweatshirt
Among others.
If you’re an alum, a student, or anyone looking to get a gift for someone who loves the University of Kentucky, try searching University of Kentucky gifts in a search engine and seeing what you come up with. University of Kentucky gifts can make someone’s Christmas.
See this reference for more.