NORFOLK, CT – A 94-year-old Greek yiayia (grandmother), who lives permanently in Connecticut but never gave up her Greek traditions and distinctive character, is evolving into a popular internet figure.

Sofia Theodoridis does not speak the English language, though she has spent most of her long life in the United States rather than in Greece. Born in Ptolemaida, she was widowed at the age of 32 and was called upon to take full responsibility for raising her two sons, at a time when Greek society offered few opportunities and was rather suffocating for women. She herself made the decision to cross the Atlantic and work hard, in order to eventually get back on her feet and pave the way for a better life for her children.

Today, she lives with her son, Paul, her daughter-in-law, Felicia, and her four grandchildren, Elvira, George, Sofie, and Vickie. The last two, experiencing her special personality, which is defined by the nostalgic and beloved form of the Greek grandmother throughout history, thought of publishing some of her special moments on the TikTok platform. Greek and expatriate users identified with her, while non-Greeks saw with great sympathy a personality that defies their own stereotypes.

“We always posted videos of our grandmother on our own accounts and many of our friends liked them. One of them motivated us to post more. We then decided to create an account for her so that those who wanted to could see her. And she finally got a lot of followers,” Vickie Theodoridis told The National Herald of the @yiayiasofia account she created with her sister Sofie Theodoridis, to post material from their beloved Yiayia.

“At first we didn’t tell her, because we didn’t know how she would take it and if she was worried that we would embarrass her. When she first found out she was upset, but once she started being recognized in a positive way, she really liked it. We read her the comments and she likes them,” she told TNH.

The account has reached around 85,000 followers, including various videos characterized by spontaneity but also the unique culture of the Greek grandmother: From simple everyday scenes of cleaning the house, to kicking the grandchildren out of bed or punishing them by locking them out of the house because they weren’t answering her calls.

“She especially likes it when we upload videos of her cleaning or showing how strong she is. For my part, I would say that with these videos I feel even more connected to my Greek heritage. She is a Greek yiayia and her presence makes me feel better. I also see people who have no connection with Greece watching it with interest. Of course, we are mostly seen by Greeks,” noted Vickie Theodoridis, who, like her siblings, maintains the connection with Greece and speaks the Greek language.

“Sofie and I were born and raised in the U.S. We finished college, but we still visit Greece every summer or whenever we get a chance. We are involved in our family business, which is a coffee shop (Cafe Aroma) in Norwalk, Connecticut,” she said.

For her part, Yiayia Sofia was content to express her gratitude for the unexpected way in which the public has embraced her.

“I am pleased with the whole world. They send congratulations for the… ‘kooky old lady,’” she said with a laugh, showing that she doesn’t take her sudden fame too seriously.

The Theodoridis family is active in the Greek-American community, connecting with and participating in events with the Pontian community in Norwalk.