As we write, a total lunar eclipse, also known as the “Blood Moon,” is expected tonight, March 13, 2025.  If you are in North America and parts of South America, look for the Moon to appear red as it passes through Earth’s shadow, a totality that will last approximately 65 minutes.

And if you are in Ohio and miss the opportunity to see this event from the Octagon Earthworks, woe on you. The rhythm of the moon is written into the Octagon Earthworks, one of an estimated 10,000 mounds created by the precontact Native American culture, the Hopewell, that are scattered across central Ohio.  Ohio, in fact, is home to the world’s largest effigy mound, the Serpent Mound.

If you draw a line drawn between the center points of the Great Circle and the Octagon Earthworks’ Observatory Circle, it points to where the moon rises at its northernmost point on the eastern horizon. These people figured out the complicated rhythms of the sun and moon, and situated their sacred earth mounds to align with those rhythms to connect their ceremonies with the universe. It is true that the Octagon Earthworks weren’t specifically built to observe lunar eclipses, but what an opportunity to connect in some way with an ancient culture that elevated the importance of lunar cycles.

Here we pivot by poking a bit of fun (with affection) at Ohioans who pass at the chance to stare at the moon while standing on a mound of dirt. We also poke fun at ourselves for not fulling understanding the whole “Can’t Even X in Ohio” thing. We’ll share what we know.

An online preoccupation with Ohio goes back to a Tumblr post from 2016 that showed a broken-down bus with its electronic messaging board on the front reading, “Ohio will be eliminated.”  The absurdity of the message made the photo go viral because, well,  it was funny. From there, it spawned an insane number of memes – all revolving around the theme of presenting the state of Ohio as planning to take over the world.  It didn’t take long for the memes to morph into the catchphrase, “Can’t Even X in Ohio. These TikTok memes were videos showing animated monsters or disasters making it dangerous, if not impossible, to perform everyday tasks in Ohio.  With “X” being an everyday task, one couldn’t wash the car, walk the dog, or even play chess.

In 2019, an unknown user posted the image of an astronaut in space discovering that all the land on the Earth is actually Ohio, and next to him, another astronaut preparing to cover up the conspiracy.

In the end, the longevity of the Ohio vs the World memes was a testament to humor and regional pride. It may also have endured because people related to the idea that an underestimated “flyover state” can take over the world.  An underdog can prevail.

What Ohio did not get right, sad to say, happened in 2018.  A bill introduced by Representative Jeffery Rezabek would have made the Labrador Retriever the official state dog breed for Ohio. Rezabek argued that the Lab embodies the values of Ohio: Friendliness, intelligence, and a strong work ethic. The breed’s adaptability, he stressed, reflects Ohio’s diverse cultural landscape.

‘Makes sense to us!

The bill, however, faced opposition from PETA, and in the end, the proposal to make the Labrador Retriever the official state dog didn’t succeed. Instead, Ohio designated the shelter dog as the official state pet in 2019.