| | Must Visits | Need to Know | Capital City Athens | | Tipping 12- 15% | | Electricity 220 V
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People & Language
What do the Greeks love, besides the sunbathing on pretty beaches and the rocky beauty of the Pindus? Dance and music definitely, theatre and concerts, bars and tavernas, siesta and family get-togethers. Celebrations are a big thing and almost any occasion is worthy of celebration. Birthdays and Name Days, Weddings and Anniversaries and Festivals are all celebrated. The land that gave birth to the Olympics is still crazy about sports - namely soccer and football. The Greeks have their own version of the Spanish siesta, and like to have a little nap after the mid day meal.
As far as the social ladder goes, although Greece has no nobility or hereditary titles any more, family connections are still very important - particularly in politics where political dynasties dominate the scene. The transition of the agro - economy and the modernization of the past half a century have been accompanied by the social metamorphosis of this people. Greece is slowly turning into a consumer society with a rising standard of living.
If you're a woman, you should be happy you're visiting Greece now and not back in the 50s. Women, who were traditionally expected to be subservient and obliging, have experienced elevation through changed family law and an abolished dowry system. Of course, much of this is truer on paper than in reality, and you will find, for example, that the common coffee shops or Voltas are exclusively male hangouts even today.
Despite urbanization the sentimental family ties and family responsibilities continue to be at the heart of the Greek populace, and parents are concerned about their little ones even when they're not so little any more. The Greeks like to spend a lot of their time outdoors and as a result the cafes and tavernas are always crowded as they serve as meeting places for the people.
The official language of Greece in 1976 was declared to be the Dermotike , the spoken vernacular of Greek. However, 90% of the Greek population speaks Modern Greek, although many purists in past decades have been trying to merge Ancient Greek with the modern version.
English and French is spoken widely in Greece, and so is German. The minority languages include Turkish, Albanian and Slavic Macedonian.
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Religion
About 98% of Greeks are Greek Orthodox, and the rest of the population is either Roman Catholic, Jewish or Muslim. Religion continues to be an important part of life in Greece. The festivals of the church calendar determine the days and structure of the Greek calendar.
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Food
Even today, the culinary heritage of the Turks is alive in Greece’s modern tastes and flavors. Kebabs, souvlaki (skewered meat) and delicious honey pastries such as the baklava are popular all over the country.
The Greeks love to eat out, and socialize alongside, discussing everything from politics to sports in the local tavernas or informal restaurants.
The traditional alcoholic beverages of Greece are the retsina, or resin flavored wine and ouzo, a grape aperitif. As the Greeks modernize and become more "cosmopolitan", these national drinks are giving way to the rising popularity of Scotch whisky and vintage bottled wine.
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Culture & Crafts
The spirit of their ingenious forefathers is certainly being kept alive even today. Traditional Greek dances such as the tsamiko and the hasapico continue to be performed during celebrations such as weddings. Another musical tradition which is alive as ever today is the rembetika song of the Turkish immigrants – songs lyricising the struggle of the immigrant working class, combining Greek tradition and the eastern influence of Turkey.
The land of the philosophical masters Socrates, Aristotle and Plato has not relinquished its precious cultural heritage and grips the precious past like the treasure that it is. Even today, archaic theatres like the Ancient Theatre of Dionysis stage classic Greek tragedies and comedies that were performed in those very same places hundreds of years ago. From the neoclassical creations of Ictinus to Homer’s Iliad, Greece has never stopped being the fountainhead of art and cultural movements that it is.
In terms of architecture, the Greek tradition remains unsurpassed. The magnificence of the Parthenon is complemented by the neoclassical creations of the 20th century artistic revolutionaries such as the brothers Christian and Theophilos Hansen. In terms of painting, the modern art tradition of cubism reached the Greek shores as well through Nikkos Gakkis.
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