Last month, I was following along in the Times News’ sports section to see which teams were doing well in the annual Coal Cracker Wrestling Tournament.

This event, which had begun 12 years ago from a humble start at Panther Valley High School, now involved about 60 schools, most of which were definitely not located in the anthracite coal region. In fact, Faith Christian School in Quakertown, Bucks County, won the two-day event held at Lehighton Area High School.

Seeing the term “coal cracker” got me thinking: “Am I a ‘coal cracker’ or am I a FORMER ‘coal cracker’ since I no longer live in coal country?” What are the definitions and characteristics of a “coal cracker”?

I recall referring to myself as a “coal cracker” any number of times as I was growing up in my hometown of Summit Hill. This Carbon County borough is on the cutting edge of “coal cracker” history. Hunter Phillip Ginder discovered anthracite coal in what is now modern day Summit Hill way back in 1791, or so the legend goes.

What exactly is a “coal cracker”? I was curious as to whether there was a specific definition. I also wondered whether those who either once lived in the coal regions or still live there consider themselves “coal crackers;” in other words, is it “once a ‘coal cracker,’ always a ‘coal cracker’?”

Let’s start with the geography. A “coal cracker” is an “affectionate name” for someone who was born or lived in the coal regions of northeastern Pennsylvania. By one website’s definition, it is the area that extends from “Scranton-Wilkes-Barre on the north to the Lehigh Valley on the south.” I’m not buying it - too broad.

A more general but more accurate geographic designation might be this one: The “coal regions of Northeastern Pennsylvania are comprised of Carbon, Schuylkill, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Columbia and Northumberland counties and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin County.” I am sure, however, that most residents of southern Carbon County do not view themselves as “coal crackers.”

So does anyone born in this designated area automatically lay claim to the “coal cracker” label, even if the person moves away at a relatively young age never to return?

According to Your Dictionary, you attain “coal cracker” status at birth: “A native or established resident of the traditional coal-mining area of Northeastern Pennsylvania; a worker in the mines of this region.”

The Urban Dictionary defines “coal cracker” this way: “A resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania, especially the Anthracite region roughly between Reading and Scranton.”

Wiktionary: “(slang) A native or established resident of the traditional coal-mining area of Northeastern Pennsylvania; a worker in the mines of this region; often used with the connotation that the person so designated comes from a modest, blue-collar background.”

Let me stress that there is no official referee to arbitrate any of these definitions. It pretty much boils down to how people consider themselves.

I did an unscientific survey of some family members and friends who still live in my hometown and others who are lifelong residents of Schuylkill County. I asked two questions: Are you a “coal cracker?” What is your definition of a “coal cracker?”

The truth is rather revealing. Some wear the term as a badge of honor, while others want nothing to do with it because they associate it with unflattering connotations.

One lifelong Summit Hill couple doesn’t consider themselves “coal crackers” as far as the name goes, but they feel they exhibit characteristics of what the name represents, especially “hard work, determination and the will to be the best we can be.”

Another resident is proud to be called “coal cracker,” seeing that he is the product of hardworking parents, who, like so many other “coal crackers,” helped to build the community through diligence and discipline.

Another happily refers to himself as a “coal cracker” and elated to be “living in a great place to raise a family.”

So to answer my own question: Originally, I thought I was an ex-“coal cracker,” but, given the definitions I’ve researched, I have revised my thinking and now consider myself a “coal cracker” through and through for all time.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.