12 Things Utahns Do That Confuse Their Out-of-State Relatives

Order a scone in Utah, and you’ll probably get fry bread, not a biscuit.

Your out-of-state relatives might need a minute with that one, and it won’t be the last.

Here’s what Utahns do that confuses their out-of-state relatives.

1. Eating Jell-O

Jell-O earned a spot in the Senate record when Utah passed a resolution in 2001 recognizing the gelatin as a favorite snack food of the state.

Utah had been the number one per capita consumer of Jell-O for many years.

Then Des Moines, Iowa, edged out Salt Lake City in 1999, before Salt Lake City recaptured the title.

It’s all in the record.

You often serve a bowl of Jell-O at your family dinner without a pause.

If you serve it, you often field questions from some visiting relatives.

2. Fry Bread Scones

A scone in Utah is more commonly fry bread than a biscuit.

In parts of Europe, many people take their tea with scones and clotted cream.

A fry bread scone is a different food.

If you order a scone expecting a tea-time pastry, you may get fry bread instead.

You can drizzle honey on fry bread or top it with melted butter and cinnamon.

Fry bread often holds deeper meaning for Navajo people.

3. Celebrating Pioneer Day

Pioneer Day is a Utah state holiday that falls on July 24 every year.

It commemorates the 1847 arrival of Latter-day Saint pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley.

The Days of ’47 events include a free parade through downtown Salt Lake City and a multi-day rodeo.

Many relatives from other states are surprised when you tell them Pioneer Day is a holiday.

You often need to explain the holiday to your relatives.

That’s no typo.

4. Twice-a-Summer Fireworks

In a typical year, if your city allows them, you get two chances each summer to set off fireworks.

Utah opens two windows.

State rules set the dates as July 2-5 and July 22-25.

Check with your city before you light anything, since local rules vary.

5. Cooking in a Dutch Oven

The Dutch oven has been Utah’s state cooking pot since 1997.

That came four years before the Senate honored Jell-O.

The governor signed the bill on March 13 of that year.

That’s state law, and you can read it on the state library’s symbol page.

If you wonder why, Representative Craig Buttars said there are more Dutch ovens sold in Utah than just about anywhere else.

6. Family Home Evening

Family home evening is a night when many Latter-day Saint families gather at home for prayer, singing, a short lesson and refreshments.

Around 1900, Salt Lake City stake president Frank Y. Taylor urged priesthood leaders to help families nurture children in the gospel.

In 1970, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged local congregations to reserve Monday nights for families.

In 2018, the Church said families could hold it on other days.

Monday evenings stayed free of other meetings or building use.

If you’re visiting a family that observes it, your Monday evening is often already spoken for.

Monday is booked.

7. Nonprofit Volunteering

Volunteering put Utah in first place in the 2023 Volunteering and Civic Life in America survey.

More than 46% of Utahns volunteered with a nonprofit.

That's nearly half.

The national figure was around 28%.

If you volunteer, you're in good company.

8. Family History Research

Family history research has a home at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

The Church says the library is open to the public and draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Admission is free.

Its records come from over 100 countries, so you can trace your family far beyond the state.

9. Thrifting at DI

Deseret Industries (DI) is a nonprofit thrift store that opened its first store in Salt Lake City in 1938.

That first store stood at 342 W. 200 South.

It began as job training.

DI's 2024 figures list 46 stores across the western U.S.

Associates get job coaching, career development counseling, English classes and paid training courses.

If you've ever dropped off a bag of clothes, you've helped stock the shelves.

10. Marrying Younger

The median age at first marriage ran lowest for women in Utah in 2024, at 25.2.

Utah men tied with Arkansas for the lowest figure, at 27.2.

These figures cover people who married in the past year.

A median is the midpoint, where half of first marriages come at a younger age and half come at an older one.

If you send a wedding invitation sooner than your out-of-state relatives expect, some of them will be surprised.

You often hear about it at the next family dinner.

Save the date.

11. Air-Quality Checks

Air quality checks become a winter habit in Utah, since an inversion can trap pollutants in the valleys.

Many locals check the air quality forecast the way you check the temperature.

The state's Action Forecasts aim to help you avoid unhealthy orange or red air quality days.

Red days are worse.

An inversion happens when warmer air sits on top of cooler air.

12. Earthquake Drills

Earthquake drills become a statewide event each year with the Great Utah ShakeOut.

More than 960,000 people took part in 2025.

The 2026 drill started at 10:15 a.m. on April 16, and state transportation staff learned to avoid running outside or standing in a doorway.

You can practice earthquake safety at work, school or home.