The great seal of New Mexico is rich in symbols. The Mexican eagle grasping a snake in its beak and cactus in its talons portrays an ancient Aztec myth and symbolizes that New Mexico treasures its Spanish, Mexican and Native American traditions (New Mexico was settled by Spanish colonists and was later part of Mexico).
The nickname for New Mexico is "The Land of Enchantment" ("Tierra del Encanto" in Spanish) because of New Mexico's scenic beauty and rich history (the nickname was officially adopted in 1999). New Mexico also recognizes a state ballad titled "Land of Enchantment - New Mexico." All State Nicknames
The tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis formosa) was designated the official state insect of New Mexico in 1989. Initiated by Edgewood, New Mexico elementary school students doing research on states which had already adopted insect symbols, they selected three insects as candidates and mailed ballots to all New Mexico schools for a state-wide election. As part of the project, the entire class attended the legislative hearing in Santa Fe when the bill was introduced. All State Insects
New Mexico designated the blossom of the desert yucca plant (pronounced “yuh-ka”) as the official state flower in 1927. All State Flowers
The yucca flower was selected by the schoolchildren of New Mexico and was recommended by the New Mexico Federation of Women's Clubs. The legislation does not specify a particular species of yucca (yucca consists of 40-50 species of perennials, shrubs, and trees native to the hot and dry parts of North America, Central America, and the West Indies).
The sandia hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys mcfarlandi) was designated the official state butterfly of New Mexico in 2003. All State Insects
The New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata) was designated the official state amphibian of New Mexico in 2003. The spadefoot toad is found in all of New Mexico's 33 counties. All State Amphibians
Idaho designated the native appaloosa as the official state horse in 1975 (Idaho's state fossil is also a horse). All State Horses
The original appaloosas were highly regarded as hardy range horses. Idaho offers a custom license plate featuring an Appaloosa horse (Idaho was the first state to offer a license plate featuring a state horse).
New Hampshire's official state motto is "Live Free or Die," adopted in 1945 as World war II approached its end (the Old Man of the Mountain was also adopted at this time as the state emblem).
"Live Free Or Die," is a quote from a toast by General John Stark, New Hampshire's most distinguished hero of the Revolutionary War. In 2007, New Hampshire adopted its 10th official state song: "Live Free or Die" by Barry Palmer.
New Hampshire designated pumpkin as the official state fruit in 2006. The pumpkin festival held in Keene, NH, for 24 years showcased thousands of carved pumpkins, and held the world record for the highest number of lit jack-o’-lanterns multiple times. In 2013 it set a new world record with 30,581 lit jack-o’-lanterns. The festival moved to Laconia, New Hampshire in 2015 for its 25th spectacular year.
Nebraska's nickname is "The Cornhusker State." Early explorers considered Nebraska and the surrounding areas part of the great American desert. In the 1860's the first wave of homesteaders poured into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Many of these first Nebraskan settlers built their homes out of sod because trees were sparse on the grassy land.