Linda Herath
78548@udel.edu

I have grown up with a variety of cultural influences. My biological mothers side is composed of Irish from my grandmother, and Polish - Austrian from my grandfather. My maternal grandparents grew up in the mid-west, specifically from Illinois. On my fathers side, Welsh, and Irish/English dominated the heritage. Also from Illinois, I had strong mid-west influences while growing up. By this I mean a strong, hard-work ethic. While these are my biological roots, they did not have as strong of an impact on my cultural experiences while growing up as my "step mothers" heritage. I don't like the phrase "step-mother" so I will refer to the woman who raised me like her own as my mother, because she is my mother in every sense of the word. Her cultural background is Ukranian and Belo or White Russian. I was introduced to this culture especially at Easter time. Starting with "Spotless Thursday", and ending with the Easter feast of kulich, a cake-like bread and paskha, a molded sweet and creamy cheese, I was involved in a unique experience that I treasure every holiday. Now that I am older, I don't participate in these traditions as frequently as I used to, but the memories of a truly unique cultural experience will always stay with me.