Though I live in Chicago, Ukrainian cultures and traditions have been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Nearly anyone who has had a conversation longer than 5 minutes with me knows that I’m Ukrainian – it’s just something I can’t shut up about. I can’t help it. I’ve grow up speaking the language, eating the food, and singing the songs, and every day, even living this far away from home, I see something that reminds me of the culture that raised me. Despite living in the United States my whole life, being Ukrainian has shaped me. Here is a list of the things every Ukrainian-American is familiar with:

1. "Wait, where is that?"

One of the first things that I get when telling people I’m Ukrainian is this line. Most people have heard of the country and have a vague idea that it’s in Eastern Europe, but beyond that, I’m met with blank stares.

2. Growing up slightly superstitious

To be fair, you’ve practically been raised on old wives’ tales. Don’t sit on the corner of a table or you won’t get married for 7 years. Dropping a knife during a meal means that a man is on his way, while dropping a spoon or fork means a woman is on her way. Don’t give knives of scissors as presents.

My favorite family story is the time my grandmother took the set of knives someone gave my parents as a wedding present just so they could buy it back for a dollar – therefore, the knives weren’t given as a gift.

3. The Food

Borscht (beet soup) is a staple in your diet. You’ve eaten more potatoes than you can possibly count. Oh, and garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. If you’re brave enough, you might have even tired kolodets – a variation of aspic that is made out of pork jelly.

4. "What did you just call your dad?"

Though Mom translates pretty well in Ukrainian, you get a lot of weird looks whenever you call your dad ‘Tato.' At least no other dad will think you’re calling out to him.

5. Every other Slavic language confuses you

You’re out in public, and you hear a phrase that sounds Ukrainian. You stop and listen, but can’t understand a thing. Some words sound familiar but you can’t quite define them. Occasionally, you’ll get a word you actually know. Are they speaking Russian? Polish? Belarusian? You may never know.

6. The Festivals

Every year, especially around August, the Ukrainian festivals start to roll into town. Entire streets get shut down, particularly in Ukrainian-heavy areas like Pennsylvania, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Detroit, and Cleveland. Aptly nicknamed ‘Uketoberfests’ in Chicago, people use these as excuses to sing, dance and genuinely have a great time.

7. Speaking of singing and dancing ...

Ukrainians just really love to sing. Whenever my family gathers, we sing prayers before meals, and “Happy Birthday” is sung in Ukrainian with a four-part harmony. Christmastime is especially fun, since Ukrainians have their own list of Christmas carols. It’s especially fun to tell your non-Ukrainian friends that “Carol of the Bells” was originally a Ukrainian song which isn’t a Christmas song whatsoever. Those who can play instruments play the bandura, the Ukrainian national instrument, and those who can dance put on flower crowns and red boots and perform the “Hopak”.

8. The Religion

Ukrainians are known for their extravagant holiday celebrations. Churches are packed to the brim, especially when Easter rolls around. I spent a good twenty minutes last week trying to explain to my college friends that Eater baskets in my house are blessed by a priest at three in the morning, and they have things like sausage in them, not Peeps.

9. Annual Pysanky Making

Speaking of Easter, Ukrainians are especially good at dying eggs. My family and friends try to make a few every year, putting wax on the eggs to preserve color then melting it all off. It takes a long time just to make one egg, or one ‘pysanka’, but in the end, it’s absolutely worth it.

10. The Pride

The friends I've made because of my ethnicity are close enough to be my family. Being Ukrainian is something that I hold very dear to me, and I couldn't be happier to share my culture with the world around me.