"My husband is Jewish, American, and from New England. I am a first-generation immigrant from Eastern Europe. I was baptized in Bulgaria and grew up in an Orthodox Christian household, whereas my husband was bar mitzvahed and went to Hebrew school. In other words, we come from completely different cultural and religious backgrounds. For a long time, I didn't feel like my in-laws understood my culture - that is, until they came to visit my home country."
"Their first trip to Bulgaria, where my husband and I now live, was a turning point in our relationship. I finally felt like they understood who I am and embraced my roots in a new and meaningful way. When we first started dating, my husband and I experienced culture shock with each other's families. My family speaks Bulgarian at home and eats traditional Balkan food, like moussaka, an eggplant-based dish, and banitza, a cheesy pastry."
A Bulgarian first-generation immigrant married a Jewish American from New England, bringing together Orthodox Christian and Jewish cultural and religious traditions. Initial interactions with each other's families produced culture shock due to different languages, food, humor, and social customs. The immigrant's family maintains Bulgarian language, traditional Balkan dishes like moussaka and banitza, folk music, and horo dancing, while the in-laws favor reserved manners, formal dinners, and a dry, sarcastic humor. A first trip by the in-laws to Bulgaria created a turning point: they connected with the immigrant's roots, embraced her heritage, and the relationship with the extended family became warmer and more unified.
Read at Business Insider
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