Connecticut designated classical composer Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954) as the official state composer in 1991. His works include symphonies, tone poems, and almost 200 songs. Charles Edward Ives attended Connecticut's Yale Univiersity in 1894 and studied with composer Horatio Parker (he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1947 for his Third Symphony).
Connecticut designated the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) as the official state shellfish in 1989. All Aquatic-Life Symbols
The eastern oyster is a bivalve mollusk that thrives in Connecticut's tidal rivers and coastal embayments. Oysters were consumed by Connecticut's earliest native American inhabitants, and European settlers also found oysters to be a major food source. The first colonial laws regulating the taking of oysters in Connecticut appeared in the early 1700's.
Connecticut adopted "Beautiful Connecticut Waltz" by Joseph Leggo of Newington as an official state song in 2013. All State Songs
Yankee Doodle is Connecticut's original state song, adopted in 1978.
composed by Ray Henry Mocarski
"Ballroom Polka," written and composed by Ray Henry Mocarski, was adopted as the official state polka of Connecticut in 2013.
Connecticut is the official State tartan, adopted by the Connecticut legislature under Governor Rowland in 1995. The large blue stripes represent Long Island Sound; the large green stripes symbolize Connecticut's forests, the medium gray stripes represent granite; the red and yellow pin stripes represent autumn leaves; and the white pin stripes are a symbol of winter snow.
Garnet was designated the official state mineral of Connecticut in 1977. Some of the finest almandine garnet in the world is found in Connecticut. Garnet varies in color from pale to dark tints, including the deep violet-red of the almandine garnet. Garnet is a hard mineral also used as an abrasive in grinding wheels, saws, and sandpaper - this mineral played an important role in the history of Connecticut industry.
Connecticut was officially nicknamed "The Constitution State" by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1959. All State Nicknames
Connecticut designated the freedom schooner Amistad as the state flagship and tall ship ambassador in 2003. This recreation was constructed at Connecticut's Mystic Seaport and set sail in 2000 as a floating classroom and symbol of courage and moral strength to the national and international communities.
The European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) was designated the official state insect of Connecticut in 1977. All State Insects
This fascinating insect is not a native North American (originating in Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and temperate areas of Asia), but it is found throughout the state of Connecticut. The European praying mantis is a beneficial insect for farmers and a symbol of the importance of the natural environment.
Connecticut designated the square dance as the official state folk dance in 1995 to increase tourism (the Northeast Regional Square Dance Convention has been held in Waterbury CT). 22 states have passed legislation to declare the square dance as a state symbol, and more than 30 bills have been introduced at the federal level proposing the square dance as the national (folk) dance of the United States (beginning in 1965).