With this being Easter weekend, I was in church a lot. My faith plays a big role in my life and is part of my identity. Another big part of my identity is being a Southerner. In our studies of Southern identity we touched on the subject of religion as a part of the Southern identity. Even though religion is a big part of my life, it is not something that connects me with the South. I am Eastern Orthodox Christian, which is not your typical Southern religion. I went to a lamb roast after the Easter service and while I was there I couldn't help but see how similar an Orthodox identity was to a Southern identity at that specific time. I went with a friend and her whole extended family and their neighbors and friends were there. It was so similar to a Southern barbecue. Everyone was eating and drinking and having a great time. The men were all sitting around the lamb spit working the meat so that it would be just right while the women were inside setting up the buffet. We stuffed ourselves and then lounged around in the yard and drank some more. Pretty soon the papou (grandfather) brought out a bag of cigars and all the guys sat around talking while smoking cigars.

We all come from different backgrounds so this week I would like y'all to discuss how some aspect of your identity is similar or different from a Southern identity.