Welcome to Greece

A brief look on Greece's culture, traditions, superstitions and beliefs!

[welcometogreece]

                                   𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐞!

          “Welcome to Greece” is a blog dedicated to basic culture and traditions of the country of Greece--A beautiful home to famous philosophers, great and renowned artists, to the Greek Gods and Goddesses, and to the Greeks themselves.

      As all of us already know, Greece is a southeast european country, an archipelago known for their many culture, beautiful traditions, classic stories of wars, heroines and tragic love stories, philosophers and many more.

     Here in Welcome to Greece, we aspire to show more of their values and beliefs, and at the same time, highlight the aphrodisiac picturesque that’s still unknown to many!

        *Use the side box to easily navigate and for a more organized content!*

“𝒴𝑜𝓊'𝓁𝓁 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓃 𝒶 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓁 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝓉𝓊𝒹𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐼𝓃𝓈𝒾𝑔𝓃𝒾𝒻𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝒹𝑒𝓅𝓉𝒽.”

-  ODYSSEUS ELYTIS, Poet of the 20th Century.

[welcometogreece]

Ελλάδα, 𝔄𝔫 𝔒𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴

Greece       Hellas             Ελλάδα

     2,500 years ago, Greece was considered one the most important places in the ancient world. The people that resides there, the Greeks, had a lot of great qualities such as acting, writing, they were good athletes, their had beautiful art that could be seen from their architecture itself.

     Before, the Greeks called themselves Hellenes and their land was Hellas. It was the Romans who gave them the name "Greeks". They lived in mainland Greece and the Greek islands, but also in colonies scattered around the Mediterranean Sea. There were Greeks in Italy, Sicily, Turkey, North Africa, and as far west as France. Greece is located in Southern Europe, bordering the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey. It is a peninsular country, with an archipelago of about 3,000 islands. The capital and largest city in Greece is Athens. Other major cities include Thessaloniki, Patras and Heraklion.

      Knowing that Greece was actually an archipelago, it features thousands of islands, including destinations such as the famous Santorini, and Mykonos. Greece is also one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. The highest mountain in Greece is Mount Olympus, it has over 50 peaks with the highest reaching 2917 metres (9570 feet)!

[welcometogreece]

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.

Alexander the Great

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𝕸𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖞 Μυθολογία

     One of the many things Greece is widely famous for was their mythology. Stories about wars, gods, heroes and rituals is known worldwide, creating thousands of books about it, retelling the stories from generation to generation. Even though those literature was created thousands of years ago, it never got old.

     The poet Homer’s 8th-century BC epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, for example, tell the story of the (mythical) Trojan War as a divine conflict as well as a human one. They do not, however, bother to introduce the gods and goddesses who are their main characters, since readers and listeners would already have been familiar with them.

[welcometogreece]

Quality is not an act, it is a habit.

Aristotle

[welcometogreece]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝕲𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖈𝖊 Η χώρα της Ελλάδας

     The land of Greece is one infused with ancient mythology and if you like archeology, history, art, and philosophy then a trip to this fascinating country is not to be missed.

Greece is made up of a series of idyllic islands that are surrounded by jet blue seas and covered in dainty white buildings, and you will also find crumbling ruins, engaging museums, and pretty coastal towns aplenty.

     Visiting a new country, Greece, at this point, touring around it and visiting the most beautiful places that it's famous for is a must! Other than the city of Santorini which already took the no.1 must visit spot of most travelers, there are tens and more to look forward to. Like the Acropolis that dominates the skyline of the capital city of Greece, Athens. Or climb the Mount Olympus for possible encounter of a greek god? You can visit Lake Plastira which is known for being blessed with a plethora of natural beauty, even though it is manmade.

[welcometogreece]

                                                   𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬                                                  Πολιτισμός                                                  (Politismós)

       Culture varies from one country or region to another. It has a wide spectrum, always different wherever you go. Although some of these had similarities at one point, at the end, a culture would depend on who acts upon it, who follows and preserves it.

       Greece, just like any other country, had their fair share of cultures and values too. Like their love for family. The warmth that their smiled give, whether you’re an acquaintance or a stranger. Their body clocks, and many more! Scroll down to see each detail.

[welcometogreece]

                                               𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

       Ancient Greece has influenced many world architectural movements along centuries, as for example the movement of Renaissance and the Neoclassical style.

      Many of the worldwide masterpieces were inspired by the architecture in Greece, particularly the ancient Greek style of Doric, Ionic or Corinthian rhythm. In fact, the Neoclassical style that was so popular in the 19th century was actually a revival of the ancient architecture of Greece. Due to the rich diversity along the centuries, the architectural style is divided into several periods. You can see samples of the architecture in Greece with a simple walk in the center of Athens, even the Cycladic one. 

[welcometogreece]

                                   𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧

      One of Greece’s important aspects is Religion 

      Greece is a profoundly Christian Orthodox country with countless examples of holy sites such as churches and historic monasteries scattered in the Greek land and the Greek islands. The rest of the population consists of Muslim, Roman, Catholic and Jewish religions.

      The Orthodox Church is the third largest branch of christianity.

       Of unique interest are the architecture and the character of the churches in Greece, scattered on top of the hills, in isolated spots among green landscapes, at the center of large squares and amidst the picturesque quarters. The Orthodox churches are characterized by their particular domed architecture and the well-decorated interiors with beautiful frescoes and holy icons.

         Churches in the Ionian islands are strongly influenced by the Venetian and Renaissance period while on the mainland churches date back from the Byzantine times. You can also find Byzantine churches in the islands. An island called "small Mystras" for it numerous Byzantine churches is Naxos.

[welcometogreece]

                                𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬

          Greeks are very expressive and emotional people they are very friendly and caring. They like helping other people and always tell compliments, very warm and sincere.

         They are naturally sociable, and curious, also greeks are very chatty and do small talks to strangers. They uses a lot of hand gestures to further give depth to what their talking about too. You could easier feel the closenes o what friend to another by those things. they are likely to be friendly and accepting plus, they have loud voices (as so they say)

        Greeks have a very strong and close family relations. There family doesn't only mean of having mother,father, and children but also there relatives, the families spend a lot of time together. Familial love being a great value that they incorporate to themselves says a lot about how beautiful their souls are,

[welcometogreece]

                                                   𝐊𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

Can we all agree that everyone loves coffee?

     Yes! Most of us do! But we believe the Greek’s love for coffee is way above ours! Cafes in Greece and the Greek Islands is not only just an entertainment place, but it is also a way of living and a big part of daily Greek culture. Cafeterias surrounds them either you’re at the busy streets of Athens, till the most secluded villages in the mountains.

People in Greece have their favorite cafeteria where they enjoy long hours with their friends. An average coffee meeting in a cafeteria for a Greek is about 1 and half hour. The most favorite coffee for the Greeks is the famous frappe. But now many kinds of freddos are the trend (fredo espresso and fredo capuccino).

[welcometogreece]

                                                𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬                                                 παραδόσεις                                                 (paradóseis)

         One country has various of traditions that has been passed for generations. It could be as small as giving respect, mannerisms and slangs to festivities and multiple original celebratory gatherings.

         Based on what we’ve read on the cultures section, most of the Greeks are christian orthodox. Learn more about their traditions and festivities on this page!

[welcometogreece]

                                    𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

        Ancient Greeks wore simple garments that draped over their bodies. The chiton and peplos were both simple outfits made from one-piece rectangles of fabric, with holes cut out for the head. The peplos was sleeveless, while the chiton covered part of the arms. Over this, people could wear a cloak called a himation. These outfits were usually made of wool, a fabric used frequently in Greek clothing, due to the prevalence of sheep farming in Greece and the country's surprisingly cool winters. Linen was also traditionally used for clothing worn during the hot Mediterranean summers.

One example of a traditional outfit for women is the karagouna. This traditional wedding dress from Central Greece is very colorful and can be quite heavy. Like some other traditional Greek costumes, it includes many layers, starting with a black-fringed white underdress. Over that, women wear a few different coats, starting with an embroidered wool coat, followed by a long white sleeveless coat and then another embroidered waistcoat. This is all topped by a red apron. A woman wearing a karagouna will also don a head kerchief and chains of gold coins across her forehead and bosom to signify wealth.

      Traditional costumes have their place, but so do traditional customs!

[welcometogreece]

                                                   𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬

     Festivals. Festivities. Carnivals. Dancing. Food. FUN!

      There are many sorts of festivals in Greece that take place mostly in summer, in the mainland and the Greek islands.

      Festivals have a religious base and they are following the Orthodox calendar. The Orthodox calendar is similar to the Catholic calendar, except for Easter sometimes. Those Greek festivities are part of, of course, the Greek culture and tradition.

       One Example is the Carnival called "Apokries" in Greek and it is expressed by three weeks of feasting and dancing! The Carnival takes place three weeks before Lent Monday. Important Carnival Parades take place in Patra, Xanthi, Corfu island and Rethymno with wonderful parties. The exact dates of the Carnival vary, depending on Easter. The Carnival finishes 7 weeks before Easter. 

      It is where people dress in masquerade, play games and jokes, have a huge parade, and throw sweets to the observers. They celebrate it not only on the said cities but all over Greece! A nationwide celebration for three weeks, just fun, dancing, socializing, without worries!

[welcometogreece]

                                                  𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲

     Name day is a common tradition in christianity, and the Greeks have them too. It is celebratring a day based on the individual’s given name. The custom originated with the Catholic and Orthodox calendar of saints, where believers, named after a particular saint, would celebrate that saint's name day.

          Just like a birthday? But not exactly. 

      It’s good for friends with short term memories. They don’t have to remember your birthday at all, just your name!

[welcometogreece]

                                                       𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

      Easter is the most important festival of the Greek Orthodox Church. It starts 7 weeks before Easter Sunday and comes to its peak the Holy Week. This is when Services are held every evening in the churches. On Good Friday, a special celebration takes place when all the flowered tombs of the Christ (named Epitaphios) are gathered at the squares and make the tour of the towns.

     The peak of the Easter is on Good Saturday at midnight when pilgrims go to the church and get the Holy Light. At midnight exactly, the priest appears holding a lighted torch and shares the Holy Flame on the candles of near worshippers.

      Then, the worshippers share at their turn the Holy Light with their close neighbors until the entire church and the courtyard get it. It is a beautiful spectacle.

      Then, fireworks explode in the streets around the Church. Worshippers then bring the burning candles home and make with the black smoke of the candle the sign of a cross above their door. This custom is supposed to bring good fortune upon the house.

      After midnight, families and friends eat "magiritsa", a soup made from lamb tripe, rice, dill, and lemon. The rest of the lamb is grilled on Sunday morning for lunch, accompanied by wines and dances.

      This festival is of great importance in all the regions of Greece but some places, such as the Greek islands of Corfu island and Chios island, are very famous for their Easter celebrations. In some towns, the Burning of Judas takes place on Easter Sunday in the evening. 

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                                              𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

     Clean Monday, Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday--A lot of names, but only has one meaning.

     It is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity and is a moveable feast, falling on the 7th Monday before Pascha.

      It varies from country to country but Greece has a beautiful way of celebrating the holiday. They do their traditional kite flying on Lent Mondays which you can see all through out the skies of Athens. And in the evenings, the city’s population would usually go to the seaside to enjoy delicious meals of tarama and lagana!