Is the Michigan Mitten the Right or Left Hand?
A recent online debate, however, posed a more specific question: which hand does Michigan’s mitten-shaped outline actually represent? Here’s what the internet had to say.
Why Michigan Is Called the Mitten State
Jadon Johnson on Unsplash" loading="lazy" onload="this.parentNode.parentNode.classList.add('frame-loaded');" onerror="this.parentNode.parentNode.classList.add('broken-image');" fetchpriority="low" width="3832" height="5103"/>“The Mitten” or “Mitten Michigan” refers to the distinctive mitten-like outline of the state’s Lower Peninsula. This unique geographic shape is why Michigan is commonly known as “The Mitten State.”
Anita Austvika on Unsplash" loading="lazy" onload="this.parentNode.parentNode.classList.add('frame-loaded');" onerror="this.parentNode.parentNode.classList.add('broken-image');" fetchpriority="low" width="4708" height="7054"/>It’s easy to see how the comparison comes about when someone raises a mittened hand, it's outline can resemble Michigan’s Lower Peninsula depending on the orientation.
If you’ve lived in or visited Michigan and asked for directions, you may have seen the hand map used to point out locations of interest. Michiganders often use either hand to form the ‘mitten map’ gesture, but which hand correctly represents Michigan’s mitten shape?
Read More: Why Some Michigan Residents Say Hamburgs
Right or Left? The Truth About Michigan’s Mitten
rock earth on Unsplash" loading="lazy" onload="this.parentNode.parentNode.classList.add('frame-loaded');" onerror="this.parentNode.parentNode.classList.add('broken-image');" fetchpriority="low" width="2994" height="3988"/>Recently on the Michigan subreddit, a user posting under the name “mojotramp” asked: “Is the Michigan mitten a right or a left hand?” Below are some of the responses the question received:
From the outset, the right hand was the clear favorite, a choice that pleased many residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Even folks in the Lower Peninsula who responded to the Reddit thread agreed that the right hand mitten was there choice.
Some Reddit users interpret the map differently, but still tend to use the right hand when giving directions in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
One commenter stood out as especially funny, while also making a fair point: just don’t show a Michigander the back of your hand.
Based on the responses in the Reddit thread, the overwhelming consensus was that the right hand is the correct choice when referring to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula as the “mitten.”
There was also a group who preferred the left mitten as the representation of Michigan’s map, and they were largely left-handed Michiganders. Although, many lefty's did say they use their right hand for mitten map.
👇BELOW: Geographical Center of the Michigan Mitten👇
Geographical Center of the Michigan Mitten
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