Greece and its superstitious inhabitants
Although “the evil eye” has gained popularity as a piece of jewelry worldwide, it had a major significance for the Greeks.
Many Greeks wear this amulet around for security more than for ornamental purposes because it is thought to be able to ward off any curses an enraged person might hurl your way.
Contrary to popular thinking in the West, Tuesday the 13th, rather than Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Greece.
Moreover, it is considered bad luck for the remainder of the day if one sees a black cat. Also, it’s considered an ill omen for seven years if a glass or mirror breaks. Interesting facts, isn’t it?
Greece and the blue
If you already visited or you plan to visit Greece, you probably noticed the blue color which doesn’t miss out to appear on almost every construction in this sunny country. But, what’s the purpose of that much blue? Of course, it is unique and gives a fresh note, yet Greece’s blue doors have meaning despite their stunning appearance. The Santorini color of blue was used in Greece to keep away every evil spirit, the local’s term for the color is „kyanos”, and believe me, it beautifully contrasts with the white concrete structures. But what’s best is yet to come, in Greece you could find a “blue zone” named Ikaria. It seems that a” blue zone” is nothing but a place where people tend to live longer than anywhere else in the world, where the inhabitants might easily reach 100 years and have a healthy body and mind. I’m packing right now, what about you?
Greek mythology inspiration for sayings
There are famous sayings that were conceived from a Greek story, and you probably heard quite often: „Take the bull by its horns!”, or “Achille’s heel” meaning a person’s weak spot, or “beware of Greeks bearing gifts” which means: “beware of anyone offering something, they may have an ulterior motive”.
Greece – country of “rooted” family
Did you know that Greece is a country where there are only a few retirement houses since once the children grow up, they don’t leave the house, thus the grandparents get to live their whole life in the family until the last day of their lives?
Greeks Values: hard-working study
Greeks place high importance on education and labor. Education, on one hand, because they see it as a means of escaping poverty and a concrete indicator of success. On the other hand, they want their offspring to enjoy better lives than they did. They make significant sacrifices to provide their kids with a high-quality education thus they value hard labor because they believe it to be one of the finest means of escaping poverty and a barometer of success in general.
Greece – the land of mouth-watering feasts
Significant components of Greek culture, Greek cuisine and beverages, are renowned for their excellent quality and delicious flavors. While certain foods are popular nationwide, others are only regional, Greek people’s diet is nothing but divine, the lunch („mesimeriano”) is the most important meal in Greece, and rightfully if you think about the famous mouthwatering “tzatziki”, “saganaki”, “briam”, “kalamarakia”, “moussaka” or “paidakia” that will make the best from your culinary experience. Hmm, I’m already hungry.
Greece – the land of Orthodoxism
After Roman Catholics and Protestants, the Orthodox Church is the third-largest branch of Christianity. In Greece, there are additionally Muslims, Jews, and Catholics, but 90% of the population of Greece is formed of Christian Orthodox people.
Thus, here you’ll meet the syntagma „name day”, which refers to the names of saints or martyrs celebrated on each day of the entire year. Due to the Greek Orthodox tradition, babies are named with the name of a saint. Hence the celebration twice a year for a Greek person, once the birthday, then the nameday. Moreover, Easter is one of the most important celebrations for Greeks as on Holy Saturday (Megalo Savato), everyone dresses nicely and makes their way to the church for a ritual. A candle is lit from the Eternal Flame by the priest as he sings the song Christos Anesti, which means “Christ has risen,” and offers the flame to light the people’s candles just before midnight. This symbolizes the darkness and silence of the tomb. Each person passes the flame to the next. People light fireworks, and bells ring nonstop. Easter Saturday Dinner is mayiritsa, tsoureki (Easter cake), and red eggs, and it is served after midnight. The family grills the lamb on a spit on Easter Sunday.
Greek hairstyle
A man’s beard represented his status. Men competed with one another over who had the best grooming, therefore having a good hairdresser was extremely valuable. The beard was regarded by the ancient Greeks as a mark of knowledge and manliness. The cowards were punished by having some of their beards shaved by the Spartans. Don’t trust my words, visit Greece and you’ll find that nowadays Greek men still wear a beard.
Greece, the green land of olives
Have you ever pictured a land of olives, a Mediterranean salad, and the sun reflecting in a bottle of fresh olive oil? If you already got captured by this scenario, find that those captivating commercials are nothing but expressing pure reality. Greece steps on the podium and wins the medal for the third-largest producer of olives.
Hence, Greek culture continues to be heavily influenced by the olive tree.
Greece generates 2.2 million metric tons of olives annually from approximately 120 million olive trees. After Spain and Italy, it is the third-largest producer of olives worldwide. The country produces the most different kinds of olives. The fact that some of the olive trees in Greece that were planted in the 13th century are still producing fruit is one of the most fascinating things you probably never knew. Athena Goddess gave them the gift of prosperity.
Greece and its mythology
Greek mythology is a collection of tales about the deities that the Greeks revered. One of the 10 interesting facts about Greece culture, intellectual progress, is a result of their religion, ideology, and social norms. They gave humanity valuable information that people have continued to build upon today on many levels, including the social, artistic, and medical fronts.
The Olympian Gods are the central figures in mythology. Zeus, the creator of the Gods, was conceived by his parents Cronus and Rhea, along with his siblings Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Except for Zeus, whose mother hid, Cronus swallowed all of his children since it had been predicted that one of them would usurp him. Zeus overthrew his father when he was an adult and protected his siblings. Hence he was declared the founder of the Gods and defined Mount Olympus as his throne.
Greek mythology plays a key role in the country’s culture, and the ancient Greek deities have had an impact on modern art, literature, and even modern culture. The most important gods in Greek mythology were the twelve Olympian gods, which included Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus.
The Greeks were such revelers that they even created a god who was in charge of wine and parties. The grapevine is the representation of Dionysus, the youngest of the gods and Zeus’s son. He is also the party-loving deity!
