In 1937, Antigone Koutsogianes, my great-grandmother, immigrated from Ikaria, Greece to the United States. With her, she brought a bag of clothes, legal documents, and her newborn baby, my Yiayia (grandma). They set roots down in Akron, Ohio, where they joined the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. My Yiayia was raised attending Annunciation and experienced the welcoming Greek community, which sure enough convinced her to do the same for my mother. It’s no shock that my mom decidedmade the decision to baptize all three of her kids in the same church, altering the course of my life for the better.
In the Greek community, the religion and the culture are essentially intertwined. If someone has an ounce of Greek heritage in their blood, chances are they are Greek Orthodox. As a kid, I didn’t realize how special the Greek Orthodox religion was. Growing up surrounded by Byzantine hymns and ancient traditions was simply part of my day-to-dayday- to day routine. It wasn’t until about seventh grade when I realized that not everyone gets to experience such a close connection to their culture like I do.
There are several customs and ways of life that I follow due to my Greek heritage. For instance, aside from attending elementary school, I also had to attend five years of Greek school. My mom felt this was important in order to better understand my culture, and so that she could speak to me in Greek in public without having to worry about people eavesdropping on us. These customs also followed into the food that I ate. At least twice a week, I was having a form of a Greek dish, whether it was pastitsio, soutzoukakia, or avgolemono. My all- time favorite dish was (and still is) loukoumades, which are essentially fried donuts covered in honey, cinnamon, and nuts. On top of that, my family also felt that it was important for me to learn a significant part of Greek culture: dancing.
I’ve been in Greek dancing for as long as I can remember. Picking up new dances and styles came so naturally tofor me, and I was always teaching other family members what I had learned in the dance troupe. My favorite dance is the Ikariotikos (from the island of Ikaria), but the Kalamatianos and the Pentozali are both close seconds. My family and I would attend Greek dances and celebrations monthly while I was growing up, and it quickly became a large part of my social life. However, despite attending these events, I was encouraged by my community to step out of my comfort zone and interact with my culture on a more personal level.
At the age of twelve, I joined the Akron chapter of GOYA, which was created in the 1950’s. GOYA stands for Greek Orthodox Youth Association, and it includes grades seven through twelve. I can say, without a doubt, that joining GOYA drew me closer to the Greek community than I had ever been before. I participated in little activities and events for the first several years, but I didn’t fully immerse myself into everything that GOYA had to offer until my junior year of high school.
The main events that take place through this organization are “tournament weekends.” For three weekends in January-February, all of the Greek Orthodox Churches in the region will travel to one parish for a basketball tournament. The games are super fun (I actually scored points), and they give everyone the opportunity to connect with other parishes. There are games, dances, and just overall bonding with young adults in the Greek community.
Through this organization, I was also introduced to Camp Nazareth. Camp Naz is a week-long camp in the summer for Greek Orthodox youth. I was scared at first that it was going to be strictly religious and harsh, but rather it’s essentially a summer camp with a few religious topics. After attending this camp, I left with a massive amount of new friendships and a better understanding of my culture. I’m almost mad at myself for not seriously involving myself in GOYA at an earlier age, as I would have had more opportunities to grow these new relationships and experiences.
Being Greek will always have a serious impact on my life. The friendships I’ve created and memories I’ve made through my heritage are enough to last me a lifetime. I’m so grateful for the community and culture that I have been blessed with, and I hope that I can share it with my own family one day.
