BE NICE TO JERSEY WEEK

BE NICE TO JERSEY WEEK

We aren't sure why people make fun of New Jersey because we think it's a pretty great state. To prove it, we celebrate Be Nice to Jersey Week during the entire first full week in July.

#BeNiceToJerseyWeek

New Jersey became the third state to join the Union when it ratified the Constitution in 1787 and became the the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. No wonder the first week of July is when we're being nice to them. The date falls in line with the celebration of our country!

The Garden State takes a lot of flack in this country. New Jersey jokes find their way to T.V. sitcoms, with the frequency of an unsecured WiFi router. Despite all the negativity, New Jersey handles it quite well. Some Americans poke fun at the state even though they've never even visited. In some crowds it's OK to mock the new kid, but New Jersey has been around awhile. (Psst...it's never OK to mock the new kid.)

As a way to give New Jersey a respite from the national orneriness pointed its way, celebrating Be Nice to Jersey Week is offered as an apology of sorts. Commuters, put your fists down. Jokesters, pipe down. Screenwriters, put your pens away or at the very least find another topic - for the week at least.

#BeNiceToJerseyWeek THIS WEEK

Find something friendly to say about New Jersey. If you've never been to New Jersey, go visit. Take a picture and share it on Instagram. Find a memory and post it Facebook. Use #BeNiceToJerseyWeek to share on social media.

HISTORY OF BE NICE TO JERSEY WEEK

Lone Star Publications of San Antonio, Texas, started the observance in 1985. The publisher declared the week as a way to correct the Garden State's negative image and for Americans to put a hold on their New Jersey jokes, negative comments and to say something kind about New Jersey.