Being one of three Greek kids in my high school, I always had to explain my family's antics, not to mention the traditions of being raised Greek Orthodox. My Yiayia came to America when she was a teenager, and my Dad's first language was Greek, so I sit here as a second generation Greek immigrant, and I love every part of it.

1. You were always told to “open” and “close” the lights.Not to mention, things were never thrown “on” the floor, they were thrown “at” the floor, which made it even worse when yiayia was yelling at you for “throwing wet towels at the floor.”
2. You had to explain to your neighbors why there was an entire lamb roasting on your lawn. When it’s time for Easter, it’s time for lamb. We haven’t eaten meat for 40 days, and with the whole big, fat Greek family over for dinner, were going to eat that whole big, fat Greek lamb.
3. Wooden spoons were deadly weapons. While your friends at American school got put in time-out or grounded, you got your papou calling you over to smack the back of your hands with a wooden spoon – and of course, you never got away with anything.
4. Your family has been asking when you plan to marry since you were 13. Big, loving families just want to get bigger, but that means all eyes will be on the teenagers and 20-somethings of the family until everyone has danced at your wedding.
5. You still remember the poem you had to memorize for Greek school. And you remember the long hours of waiting for Greek school to be over, only to go home to homework from American school and Greek school.
6. GOYA took up a major part of your time in high school. More accurately took up your entire life, but you loved every second of it, so you didn’t complain.
7. You cringe when people mispronounce the word “gyro”. Along with the names of every other type of food that yiayia always made for you.
8. Olive oil is a main part of your diet. Olive oil and lemon juice usually end up on just about everything we cook at home.
9. You can recite almost every line from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. Since it’s usually what you use as a reference when people ask you what your family is like.
10. You are proud to be Greek. Nothing is taught to Greek children more than to love and appreciate their heritage.