I am not writing to bash other cultures but instead to explain why mine is so amazing. I am a Greek American who is extremely proud of my heritage. Being Greek is one of the most important facets of who I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way. First off, our illustrious History is second to none. From actual events to Greek mythology, the stories of our past helped shape our world today. Even our recent history is full of memorable events like the fact that the island of Crete withstood Germany for two weeks during WWII while full countries lasted mere days. Aside from our History however, there are a multitude of other reasons why I write this. Growing up Greek is something you have to experience to truly know but Greek school and church are where I spent most of my time. For what seems like my entire life I have been participating in massive gatherings of Greeks to celebrate our traditions. At these events, like FDF (Folk Dance Festival as I know it) and the Cretan confrences, hundreds of Greeks get together to enjoy the songs and dances everyone was taught as a child at dance practice and by Yiayia and Pappou at home. These places have helped shape me and I cannot express how thankful I am to have gone to them. I met friends there that will be my family forever. Our language is yet another reason I love being Greek. The words are just so beautiful and convey so much more emotion than other languages. If you listen to a Mitropanos song then you’ll know what I mean. Don’t even get me started on the food though. There is nothing better than a Gyro in Greece at 4 AM to fuel up for the rest of the night (besides Game of Thrones!). Pastichio, souzoukakia, bougatsa, makaronia me kima, and everything else in between, my mouth is literally watering at the thought of the delicious food that Greeks have perfected. These are just a few of the hundreds of reasons to be proud of being Greek but instead of reading about it you should go out and experience it yourself. There truly is no substitute for being Greek.