In lieu of the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" being plastered everywhere, I've decided to discuss the realities of what its like to grow up Greek. Being Greek instills a sense of pride on someone that is unexplainable unless you are Greek. The traditions and values instilled in you at such a young age are things that you will carry with you throughout your whole life and probably pass on for generations to come.
I wouldn't say my childhood was completely normal, I never did Brownies or Girl Scouts, instead I went to Greek school and Sunday school. In the beginning I hated doing this (double the homework-yuck), but as I got older my love and appreciation for my culture began to blossom. It all started with traditions. Loud family holidays are essential to being Greek, especially roasting the lamb on the spit on Easter.
All my school friends would say things like "ew you eat that" or "that looks gross" and all I could think was "do you know how delicious that tastes after eating no meat for 40 days." The answer is "no," so your opinion is irrelevant.
Or cooking every other delicious Greek food with my Yiayia is enough to make me love being Greek by itself. Growing up Greek was pulling up to my Pappou and Yiayia's house and seeing the American flag flying high right next to the Greek flag. It was being able to whip out another language when you didn't want anyone else to understand what you were saying to your mom.
Growing up Greek is being surrounded by your loud, huge family more often than you would like. I mean your family is so big you can make up the population of a small town. Yiayias, Pappous, Cousins, Theas, Theos always trying to make you eat something. So many cheeks kissed that your face literally starts to go numb. It takes you twenty minutes to say hello/goodbye at family functions.
Growing up Greek was being so involved in your church youth group you practically lived there. My local Greek Orthodox Youth Association practically became my family. I would always brag to my school friends about how much I loved my "Greek" friends and they would never understand because they weren't lucky enough to be Greek.
It was attending GOYA dances on Fridays and Greek dancing your little heart out. Or it was volunteering at your church's Greek festival for the entire weekend. You've never cut that many tomatoes, peeled as many cucumbers, or served that much galaktoboureko (my favorite dessert EVER-highly recommend) in your life.
Growing up Greek was rarely having off for Easter because it was always different than Catholic Easter, but yet you still had to go to church all week. And for my Greek girls we all know this was basically a mini fashion show because you ALWAYS put your best church outfits together for Holy Week, let's be real.
Most importantly, though, growing up Greek was having so much pride in your culture, that basically you wanted to tell every new person you meet "yeah I'm Greek, I know I'm awesome." Or anytime someone even mentions something Greek you can't help that the biggest grin comes across your face (aka whenever ancient Greek history is mentioned in history class, you're welcome for democracy). Because, from the wise words of Gus Portokalos, "there are two kinds of people- Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek."
My Greekness is your weakness.
