Growing up, I always felt that I was different. For one, I am of Greek decent, which made me a different ethnicity than the other people I knew. I spent almost every Sunday attending church at my local Greek Orthodox Church and going to Sunday school to learn about my religion. I was born Greek, into a culture of rich traditions, and yet it took me a while to accept this as a part of my life and recognize it as something that I am proud of.
I grew up going to Greek school, eating Greek food, learning how to Greek dance and going to summer church camp so I could meet other Greek kids who were just like me. When I had to explain to people that I was Greek, it was nerve-wracking because I did not know how they would respond. Would I be seen as the freak who brought Greek food to school for lunch? Would my commitment to going to church each Sunday turn them off and make me seem ultra-religious? Would people even know where Greece was located and what the culture was like? These were all thoughts I had, believing I would be judged for this part of my life, and that I could not relate to anyone around me who grew up the same way. I would then avoid telling people about my heritage so I would not have to deal with the awkward conversations that would follow.
As I got older, I began to realize that the only thing holding me back from accepting where I come from is myself. I love everything about the Greek culture: the food, the dancing, the religion, and the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. I came to realize that being Greek is who I am and it is not something I should be ashamed of or something that I should have to explain to people, but it is something that makes me who I am.
It was not until I visited Greece in 2013 when I was able to figure out how I really felt about my culture and where I come from. I was going to Ionian Village, a summer camp for Orthodox Christians around the United States and Canada that gives them the chance to experience the roots of Orthodox Christianity and Greek heritage by traveling to various churches and locations around Greece. Being able to travel to the homeland was an amazing experience, and it was then when I felt proud of my culture. I was able to not only love where I came from after traveling throughout Greece but after being there I was proud of the country my ancestors called home. At that moment, I was proud to be Greek.
Being proud of where you come from is a difficult process. It takes time to accept the traditions that have been passed down in your family as something that you will want to continue to pass down to future generations. Although you live in the United States, you should not forget about these traditions, and you should always be accepting of the unique culture that you are lucky enough to have as a part of your life. Being part of a different ethnicity does not make you different; it simply makes you unique and you should be proud of that. Connecting with others who are from the same or similar background as you will allow you to see that you are not alone in sharing in the traditions of your culture. In addition, I have learned that you should not care what others think about your culture or the traditions that you value because if you do, you are missing out on enjoying these traditions for yourself.
You should be proud of where you come from, and it is easy when you love your heritage for what it is and allow it to be a part of you rather than a piece of you that you would like to forget.
