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Printer-Friendly ModeFamily culture deserves appreciation, celebration
March 22, 2010 —
On St. Patrick’s Day, amid the celebration of everything Irish, I felt little left out. Although I enjoy clovers, leprechauns and massive amounts of green every now and then, I feel like celebrating the holiday would unfairly rob the Irish of the one day in which they celebrate their own culture.
My family is mostly Lebanese, Polish, Czech, or German. The only Irish I know of in my family is from my great-great grandmother from my father’s side. She wasn’t even 100 percent.
I was never interested in my family history until high school. As a child, I shied away from any Lebanese food which my grandmother made for family gatherings, asking instead for a separate dinner, calling any of that food “icky.” When my cousin brought in a Lebanese dish, called kibbee, for third-grade show and tell, I refused to eat the food.
My father attempted to convince me that sauerkraut would be good for a growing girl whenever he ate it, and my mother said that I should at least try to eat the food once in a while.
All the while, I felt like an outcast. I knew no one else who had a similar family history like mine, and I knew of no other family in the area with Lebanese ancestors. I didn’t understand why my family was, literally, trying to shove my family history down my throat.I was just trying to find my place.
My epiphany came in the form of a new family friend when I was thirteen. Not only was he part Lebanese, but we shared the same birthday and were both avid fans of hockey.
He introduced me to the Arabic culture of my great grandparents, which happened to come in the form of food. While getting to know him, I ate kibbee for the first time since I was a child, and the strangest thing happened: I liked it, and I liked it a lot.
After that, I gave up my battle. Whenever my grandmother made Lebanese food, and when my mother learned how to make it, I no longer complained but embraced it all.
Following this epiphany, I was finally interested in my family and our history. The stories I’ve heard from my parents and grandparents have made me proud to admit my difference.
So while St. Patrick’s Day celebrations conclude, we should come to an understanding that ongoing cultural celebrations occur every day within our own families. We are the products of our unique family histories, and my family is no different.