Wedding traditions in ancient greece. Customs and traditions in greece. Language in Greece

Famous Athens, magical myths, legends, majestic gods - we remember all this when it comes to the beautiful and mysterious Greece, the homeland of ancient civilization. Greek culture is tens of hundreds of years old and can rightfully be considered one of the oldest in the world. The country that gave the world the Olympic Games, classical architecture, poetry, sculpture, democracy has a huge number of folk customs. Each island in Greece is endowed with its own traditions and customs.

Ancient customs

The legends and myths of ancient Greece have been retold and rewritten for centuries. The ancient Greeks attached great importance to witchcraft and predictions, and the prophets and soothsayers enjoyed great fame and respect of the locals. People came to them to interpret dreams, predict the future or forget the past forever. Traditionally, the ancient Greek oracles gave deep meaning to the signs of nature. They could be a bird flying past, the sound of rustling oak leaves, or the murmur of water. The Greeks went to specially designated sacred places to see a prophetic dream and thus predict their future.

Advice

If you happen to be in Greece, do not be surprised by the large number of celebrations organized in honor of different gods. Every Greek has his own “saint”, who is regularly approached with requests and “placated” in every possible way at religious celebrations.

Customs and traditions of modern Greece

Hellas left us wonderful monuments of architecture, literature and theatrical art. Along with them, traditions, ceremonies and rituals, which are observed in modern Greece, have survived to this day.

Jewelry and clothing

In Macedonia, as in any other country, wedding customs are treated with special trepidation. Decorating the bride, marching through the streets with music and treats, mourning the bride - this is the traditional Greek wedding. In some places you can still see the Greek national dress: stivaniya, wide trousers, dark shawls or multicolored costumes.

Carnival

There is a custom in the country to organize Dionysian carnivals. The procession takes place to the music of wind instruments, in masquerade costumes with songs and dances.

The ancient symbolic ritual of slaughtering a pig is dedicated to the tree worship ceremony. It is traditionally tied with ribbons. The Greeks attach great importance to the celebration of Easter and Christmas. Favorite snacks and delicacies are served on the tables, carols and fortune-telling are held everywhere.

Superstition

The Greeks are very superstitious, despite their religiosity. Modern residents use amulets against damage in the form of a blue bead with a pattern imitating the iris of the eye or a "cat's eye" decoration.

Family and greeting

Greek families tend to be very large and often live in the same house together. Now this feature is typical for villages or small settlements. Another interesting custom is associated with going on a visit. You need to enter the Greek house only with your right foot, be sure to give the owners a small present and say a few pleasant wishes. Traditionally, when meeting, both women and men kiss on the cheek twice, substituting each one in turn.

Do you know what is the traditional daily routine of the average Greek?

Greeks can be called both larks and owls. Residents wake up at 5-6 o'clock in the morning, and go to bed after 23 o'clock at night. But following the established custom, the hours of sleep are more than compensated by the daytime siesta, from 2 pm to 4 pm.

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Having visited Greece once, you will leave impressions about it for a lifetime and you will definitely want to return. But to understand the full depth of the foundations, rituals and traditions of the Greek people, one trip is not enough. The people absorb the diversity and deep meaning of customs with their mother's milk, and we can only touch the cultural heritage of the country, but at the same time feel the full significance of the historical era, whose echoes have found their place in the modern world.

Customs and traditions of Greece

In 1833, at the London conference of the three great European powers, Otto I of Bavaria was appointed king of the Greek state that had just gained independence from the Ottoman Empire.

When the young king arrived in Athens, the city he had chosen for his capital, there was not a single more or less decent building for a royal residence.

These were the consequences of a bloody, long and destructive war for the country's independence.

The population of Athens in that post-war period was hardly more than 12 thousand inhabitants. But the most terrible consequences of the almost 400-year Turkish yoke and almost continuous hostilities were the irreparable destruction of many historical monuments.

In fairness, it must be said that not only the Turks had a hand in the barbaric destruction of the great history of ancient Greece.
Greece was subjected to massive plunder by the "collectors and keepers of antiquities" - the British and the French.

And before them Venetians and crusaders-Franks "worked" here. The early Christian struggle against paganism, as well as the raids of the southern Slavs, played a significant role. Yes, and in ancient times, Hellas did not spare the aggressive campaigns of the Roman legions of the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

But fortunately, one of the main historical achievements of the "golden era" of antique classicism was the creation of the Hellenes, in addition to material monuments, previously unprecedented spiritual witnesses: theater, literature, sculpture and painting, thanks to which we can today, comparing the results of archaeological excavations of ancient cities with artistic descriptions of the life of their population, it is much better to know and understand how they lived in ancient Greece ...

Literary sources - witnesses of the era

The history of ancient Greece is usually divided into several historical periods., in each of which the life of the Hellenes was strikingly different from another, later time:

1. Archaic Crete-Mycenaean, about which we know mainly from mythological plots and from two genius poems of the great Homer.

2. "Dark" antique Middle Ages when the new conquerors - the Dorians poured into the Greek lands, dividing the culture of ancient Hellas into two branches: Achaean and Doric, and the history of the country into two eras: archaic and classical.

This transitional period left much less cultural evidence, but at this time, memories of more ancient eras were preserved and recorded for posterity, which became a connecting thread and prepared the ground for the subsequent rapid spiritual flowering.

3. To the highest material, spiritual and cultural achievements classical period prepared by previous legislative and social reforms, Hellas rose immediately after the victories in the Greco-Persian wars. The unprecedented upsurge of the national spirit, which made it possible to defeat the strongest enemy, became the source of the greatest spiritual upsurge. This was expressed in the appearance of many works of art that have become witnesses of the era for us.

Excellent descriptions of the way of life, way of life, habits and traditions of the ancient Hellenes can be found in many works of ancient authors, ranging from Homer's Iliads and Odyssey or Hesiod's Works and Days to filled with everyday descriptive details comedies of Aristophanes, an all-encompassing "Descriptions of Hellas" Pausanias or encyclopedic "The Feast of the Wise Men" Athenaeus.

Life in ancient Greece

Chronology

There are different opinions on which date to take as a starting point, which can be used to record the beginning of the most interesting for us classical period of ancient Hellas.

It is most logical to follow the Hellenes themselves, who determined the beginning of their new time on the date corresponding to our calendar 776 BC NS... and became the first unifying symbol of Hellas.

Up to this point, each policy had its own, sometimes very confusing, time measurement system. And starting from that date, they all began to measure time everywhere. four-year segments, called the number of the corresponding Olympiad.

That was the time of the rapid growth of new city-states, the colonization of the territories of Asia Minor, the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily, the development of trade and crafts, the improvement of legislation and the judicial system, the emergence of sciences, philosophy and art, moving from the rule of kings and tyrants to public, democratic, principles management.

Family life

The cult of family relations, which is quite strong in modern Greece, was one of the foundations of ancient society in ancient Greece.

The basis of this, of course, lies in the tribal community of the Early Bronze Age.

For example, describing the palace of the Trojan king Priam in the Iliad, Homer, talking about its gigantic size, lists all the numerous relatives who lived in these chambers.

The unconditional head of the clan was the father of the family, after whom power passed to the eldest son, even if he was not born in this family, but adopted.

The power of the head of the family was so strong that he could even sacrifice one of his children to the gods if they demanded it. Such is, for example, the story of Iphigenia from the same Iliad.

If the head of the family fell into need, he could sell his daughters, and expel his son from the house for disrespect, which was even enshrined in legislation.

About the feelings of the young at the conclusion of a marriage union nobody asked: the redemption price was decisive, presented by the groom to the future father-in-law, and sometimes a real auction was arranged for the bride, and the main motive for creating a family was the continuation of the family.

It is believed that a woman in a Greek family did not have the right to vote. This is not entirely true: she had her own specific range of responsibilities around the house, for which she was responsible, managing slaves, food, supplies and all household chores. The man was responsible for everything else.

So, in the "Odyssey" Telemachus, the son of Agamemnon, says to his mother Penelope: “Take care of the order of the economy, with yarn, weaving, observe that the slaves are diligent in their work: speaking is not a woman’s business, but a man’s business, and now mine. I myself am one master ... "

But at the same time family property, especially the land, did not belong solely to its head: it was considered as common property and what was received from the previous generation was to be passed on to descendants not diminished, but exaggerated.

The concept of genus was given great importance. Today, many of us are unlikely to be able to remember our ancestors earlier than the third generation, the Greeks kept and remembered their own genealogy, sometimes calculated for centuries.

Many tragedies of the ancient theater, especially in Euripides, began with a description of the genealogy of the heroes, and this did not surprise the audience at all: everyone could find his distant relative among the characters. Echoes of such clannishness can be found even in modern Greek society.

Religion, ceremonies and rituals

The ancient Hellenes built their dwellings from cheap clay, which was in abundance in these places.
The best building materials were dedicated to the houses of the gods - temples, which at first were built from wood, which is quite expensive here.

But wood is a short-lived material, moreover, combustible, and many ceremonies held in temples were accompanied by a large amount of open fire.

One of the impetus for the construction of a masterpiece of classical architecture - the magnificent complex of the Acropolis, was the burning of old wooden buildings on it, which captured Athens by the Persians.

Therefore, gradually the tree became widely replaced by limestone and then marble.

In turn, the massive construction of temple complexes gave a powerful impetus to the development antique architecture like art.

The significance of religion in the life of the Hellenes was enormous. Without the advice of the gods, expressed in the predictions of the oracles, not a single important business began.

Indicative semi-mythical plot of the capture of the Peloponnese by the Dorians, who, on the advice of the oracle, waited until three generations were replaced before starting a campaign of conquest, which ended, as you know, with a quick victory and the formation of the state of Sparta.

Given that these three generations have been busy preparing for the march and building a powerful army, the wisdom of the oracle's advice must be recognized.

Wedding ceremony

Of considerable interest for the general concept of the religious life of the Hellenes is marriage ceremony, which was performed not in the temple, but at the home altar and symbolized the transition of the girl from one family to another: in the father's house, a sacrifice was made to the gods at the altar, at the end of which the head of the family passed on the established formula his daughter to the groom, tore her from her kind, giving to another ...

Then, accompanied by messengers, covered with a veil and with a wreath on her head, in white robes, she was transported, accompanied by wedding hymns, in a chariot to the groom's house.

The young brought his betrothed, depicting the abduction, in his arms into his home. The bride, on the other hand, had to scream, showing that she was entering here not of her own free will, but in obedience to her new master - her husband.

A real wedding ceremony was already held here, where the young were introduced to the home gods at the groom's family altar. A ritual of purification with water and fire was carried out, the young shared bread and fruits among themselves, then making a joint prayer to the gods.

The worship of the dead

The cult was of great importance in the life of the Hellenes honoring the dead who were not considered dead forever, but only passed into another kingdom, and according to legends, some, for example, Hercules even managed to return from there. When visiting the graves of their ancestors, relatives brought them food and drink as if they were alive, so that they would not feel deprived in another life.

Public life

A remarkable feature of the ancient Hellenes, which distinguished this people from others and allowed them to cope with an enemy many times superior to them in number, was the importance of the role and superiority of public consciousness over personal.

A fair part of the life of the male population of the country did not take place in houses, where they came only for evening meals and sleep, but in public places, mostly in the Agora where trade and production were combined, “on the spot,” with politics.

The art of persuasion - rhetoric- was revered at the level of worship. A public figure, capable of proving, convincing, leading, was honored with lifetime veneration. The disputes of representatives of various schools of thought in the squares gathered huge crowds of spectators.

Unconditional obedience to the laws no matter how unfair they may seem, it was in the blood of the inhabitants of Hellas.

So, the great Socrates, in the injustice of whose sentence all his students were convinced, who suggested that the teacher flee, unconditionally obeyed the verdict of the court and drank the prepared bowl of poison. After all, if he did not do this, the ideals of the teachings of the great philosopher and his enormous authority among the citizens of Athens became meaningless.

Army and navy

The Greeks, great admirers of geometric order and harmony, were among the first to use combat formations in military operations.

Iron discipline of the Greek warriors, who stood to death, forced the enemy to shamefully leave the battlefield, even with multiple numerical superiority. This was achieved by a full-fledged combat education of the male population from an early age, especially in.

The importance of the fleet in the life of ancient Greece can hardly be overestimated. Not only was most of the country located on the islands: superiority at sea made it possible to have unrivaled trade throughout the Mediterranean region. The best example of this is the Athenian naval union, created at the end of the Persian wars.

The art of building ships, which the ancient masters achieved, is striking: within a few weeks they could build and launch a full-fledged combat fleet. The fruits of this skill have not been lost in time - the Greeks are still one of the best navigators and owners of the world's largest merchant fleet.

clothing

The simplicity of a Greek costume delights. All its varieties and details were built from ordinary rectangular pieces of linen or woolen fabric, fastened on the shoulders and on the sides with buckles-fibula.

The only difference between a rich suit and a poor one was the coloring., yes, the richness of the geometric pattern-border. The main types of patterns were the classic meander and the Cretan wave.
To a greater extent, the nobility of the origin of the owner of the costume was emphasized by various jewelry. Women used cosmetics richly: blush, antimony, various creams, masks and hair mixtures.

The basis of the ancient Greek costume was a body shirt: a chiton - for men, a tunic - for women, who were worn at home; when going outside, various types of cloaks were added to them: a long himation and a short chlamyda, as well as capes: calipra and peplos.

The clothes of the slaves, and often also peasants, fishermen, hunters, shepherds, urban poor, could only consist of a loincloth.

Walking barefoot was by no means considered a sign of poverty, although the most popular footwear was still sandals, consisting of a wooden, cork or rope sole tied to the leg with straps. In addition, leather or felt endromid boots were popular.

Hats made of felt or straw were used most often in bad weather or for protection from the sun during long walks. For the same purpose, they took on the road various fans and fans.

Great importance in appearance was attached by the ancient Greeks, especially women hairstyle and hair decoration hairpins, tiaras, ribbons, etc.
For men, the main decoration, one might even say, a detail of a suit, was beard, considered a sign of dignity and wisdom.

Furniture

The most common type of seat was half-benches, half-beds, which were located during symposium dinners.
Low tables on short legs... Folding chairs-diffra with legs in the shape of the letter "X" and a seat made of linen or woven from a rope were also in great use.

Armchairs with armrests - throne - were available only in noble houses, but in royal palaces, serving as one of the symbols of the supreme power.

Great importance was attached to the manufacture and decoration of beds.... They were made of wood and decorated with rich carvings, and sometimes with real sculptures. For storage of clothes and valuables served various chests, which were also decorated with carvings or inlays.

There was practically no other furniture in the houses., even in pantries, food supplies were stored in earthen vessels that stood directly on the floor. The kitchens also had a fireplace for cooking.

In the cold season, clay or metal braziers with coals were used to heat dwellings, which were melted outside and then brought into the house. They also served as primitive lamps. If more light was required, oil lamps or torches were lit.

Dishes

Ceramic art in ancient Greece reached unprecedented peaks.
No wonder the largest and oldest area of ​​ancient Athens was the Kerameikos pottery quarter, which was practically adjacent to the central trading square of the Agora.

But the most remarkable feature of the pottery art of ancient Greece was the transition from simple geometric patterns in the early stages of development to real works of art that adorned ceramics.

Thanks to these stunning paintings, sometimes real masterpieces that have witnessed the era, we can learn many small details from the everyday life of the ancient Greeks, and some images were accompanied by inscriptions, such as, vase kept in the Hermitage.

By the way, even by coloring the images on the dishes it was possible to determine the time of its creation: the black figures on a red background are earlier than the red ones on a dark one.

The variety of shapes of Greek crockery is also impressive. These are Pithos and Scyphos, amphoras and phials, lecythians and cilicos, craters and hydrias, inokhoyi and kiafi, kanfars and rhytons. Even archaeologists sometimes puzzle for a long time over the purpose of this or that object.

The Hellenes also used all kinds of comic devices.: cups that poured wine over those who started drinking from them or, conversely, did not allow to quench their thirst, no matter how you tilt them.

Another feature of ancient Greek dishes was the presence, in addition to ordinary household utensils, of a large number of all kinds of large-volume vessels for storing and transporting liquid and bulk products. Undoubtedly, their appearance was facilitated by the all-round development of trade in the Mediterranean.

Food and wine

Many products that have become a symbol of the modern Greek table, such as tomatoes, were not yet known in Europe in ancient times. This also applies to potatoes, eggplants, peppers, rice and some other plants.

So loved by the Greeks tobacco and coffee also appeared much later. Nevertheless other vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, onions, cabbage, zucchini, radishes were widely represented on the tables of the Greeks.

The basis of the daily diet was various legumes: numerous types of beans, peas, lentils, etc. The seafood was of great importance: fish and seafood, which were available in every home. Meat was used on a daily basis only in rich families, and in simply prosperous, or even more so poor, only on holidays, when sacrifices were made to the gods.

All kinds of cheeses played an exceptional role in the diet. It must be said that the art of cheese-makers in Greece reached a very high level, and it was widely known and widespread already in the time of Homer. So, in the "Odyssey" the Cyclops Polyphemus, who captured the sailors, was engaged in the manufacture of cheeses from sheep's milk.

Of great importance in the diet of the ancient Hellenes bread made from wheat or barley flour, of which there were many types. His role was so significant that a meal without bread was even considered sinful, objectionable to the gods. In fact, bread was the basis of the table, while the rest of the dishes were just an addition to it. In addition to unleavened bread, yeast bread was already known, which was considered a delicacy because of its high cost.

By the way, vessels for leaven of a special shape were called Klibanos... Perhaps from this word came the Russian - bread.

Priceless gift of the goddess Athena - olive tree was the subject of constant reverence and gratitude for this gift to the beloved and wise goddess. The value of the olive was that its use did not have any waste: everything, from fruits to wood and leaves, went into business. Oilseeds and olive oil occupied an overwhelming place in the daily diet.

The cult of the vine and wine, expressed in the worship of one of the beloved Greek gods, Dionysus, was one of the most widespread in ancient Hellas. Wine, on the other hand, occupied one of the leading places in the diet of the Greeks. They consumed it three times a day, with every meal.

By the way, the well-known procedure for diluting wine with water played a completely opposite role. The ancients did not dilute wine with water, but added it to the latter in order to disinfect it.

Trade and craft

The first people of ancient times who lived mainly at the expense of trade were the Phoenicians - noble merchants and sailors. The Greeks borrowed a lot from them, including taking the Phoenician script as the basis of their alphabet. And not just borrowed, but significantly developed and improved in the future.

The importance of trade in the life of the Hellenes was so great that the central square of many large cities was the market Agora. But here they were not only engaged in trade. In Athens, for example, the Agora was the highest rock of the Council and the Supreme Court - Areopagus.

People's assemblies of free citizens were immediately held, making epoch-making decisions. There were orators and lecturers by philosophers ... Everything for the sake of being engaged in social life, not being distracted from the main business - buying and selling.

Near the Agora, or even right in the trade pavilions, the workshops of artisans were located: weavers, blacksmiths, cabinetmakers, jewelers, etc., and a little further away, to protect from the strong smell, there was a tannery. Many products of ancient artisans still captivate connoisseurs of beauty with beauty and grace.

The development of trade required the creation of commodity equivalents - banknotes.

It is the ancient Greek measures of weight: talent and drachma, which later became the names of coins, were the first currency units of the ancient world to become ubiquitous.

Science and education

Everyone knows that Greece is the homeland of most sciences, and this topic requires a separate large article. Most of the citizens of Hellas were quite educated people. And insufficient education was even considered a vice.

For example, there was a law that allowed a son not to take care of his father in old age, which was generally considered a huge sin if the younger could prove that his parent, having the opportunity, did not give his offspring any education.

The symbol of Greece is the Athenian Acropolis: the place where the legends of the Ancient World were born,.

Learn also about the secrets of the Palace of Knossos - the labyrinth of the Minotaur,.

All countries / Greece/ Customs and traditions in Greece. The character of the Greeks

Customs and traditions in Greece. The character of the Greeks

Greek culture has more than one thousand years and is deservedly considered one of the most original and ancient in the world! Greece, Great Hellas is a country that gave the world the Olympic Games and philosophy, democracy and classical architecture, one of the most widespread writing systems and the richest literature that spread its influence throughout Europe and half of Asia. Ancient Greece made, postine, the greatest contribution to the culture and development of human society, and it cannot be underestimated in any way.

We are all, a little, Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our art - everything has its roots in Greece. However, in reality, modern Greece today has very little in common with Ancient Greece, and today it is heavily mythonized. Let's try to figure out how modern Greeks live now and how they differ from us.

Greek mentality

Greeks, according to an international study, are the most insecure nation in the world. Hiding behind the facade of external dignity, they try to hide their doubts, their insecurity by any means. They are afraid that they will not be considered serious enough, and the more flaws they find in themselves, the more pompous and serious they try to seem.

The Greeks are a huge tangle of contradictions. They are happy to criticize other Greeks for minor offenses, but if someone from another nation doubts even a little that the Greeks are the salt of the earth, then this foreigner will not get it! The Greeks will pounce on him, accuse him of all the sins that his country has committed against Greece since the dawn of civilization, and maybe even earlier. Modern Greeks, although they cannot boast of even a hundredth share of the achievements of their ancestors, nevertheless, were able to go through the 400-year-old Turkish occupation, one of the most brutal in history, practically keeping their identity, religion, customs and language intact. and are extremely proud of their country and its achievements. The very word "Turk" makes the most cosmopolitan Greek hair stand on end, although the object of their hatred - Turkey as a concept, and not separately taken by the Turks.

But, there is also a downside to the coin. Living in a country that has lost more than three-quarters of its former territory and which is constantly on the verge of bankruptcy, they are burdened with a huge inferiority complex in relation to the ancient and Byzantine Greeks, because they did not manage to revive the “Great Greece” of their forefathers. Deep down, they would welcome any opportunity to reclaim their "lost homeland", whatever the cost. And since the Turks, in turn, dream of reviving the Ottoman Empire, relations between these nations are very, very tense.

With the exception of the Turks, the Greeks have no ill feelings towards any other nation. True, they do not particularly favor the Bulgarians, nor do they burn with love for the Albanians, who managed to cash in on the Greek civil war and drag the region of Northern Epirus with half a million Greeks inhabiting it behind the communist "iron curtain".

Difficult relations between the Greeks and with each other. The Cretans ridicule the Peloponnesians, the Macedonians the Rumeliots, the inhabitants of Epirus the Thessalians, the islanders the inhabitants of mainland Greece, the Athenians everyone else, and so on, until the whole country is covered. And in the case when it is required to question the mental abilities of any people, the Greeks have Pontic Greeks (immigrants from cities on the Black Sea coast). About them, in general, there are a huge number of different jokes and anecdotes, well, for example: an announcement at the airport: “Request to the Pontians not to scatter grain on the runway. "Big bird" will arrive anyway. " And the Greek gypsies are a favorite subject of anecdotes, because of their tendency to theft, obsessive trade in all unnecessary trifles, countless children and unimaginable filth.

In fact, all Greeks have a dual nature. They are the smartest, but also the most vain people, energetic, but also disorganized, with a sense of humor, but full of prejudices, hot heads, impatient, but true fighters ... One minute they fight for the truth, and the other, they hate the one who refuses to lie. They are half good - half bad, fickle, mood-changing, self-centered, flighty and wise. V Georgia Greeks are called "berdznebi" ("wise men"), and Greece - "saberdzeneti", that is, "land of wise men." In different strata of society, you can find Alexander the Great - noble, brave, intelligent, open-minded, sincere, heartfelt and generous, and Karagöz - low, insidious, selfish, talkative, vain, lazy, envious and greedy, - often in one and the same person.

The Greeks have a special relationship with the government. It is well known that most peoples have the government they deserve. This is most true of the Greeks. Their successive governments - regardless of their political overtones - usually exhibit the same flaws as the average Greek. Despite their undoubted intelligence, the Greeks are a very gullible people, especially when some charismatic politician tells them what they want to hear. They are ready to follow him until the moment when bitter disappointment sets in. When a politician, naturally, does not succeed, the Greeks begin to be mischievous and vote for his resignation.

Bureaucracy in Greece has been elevated to the rank of art - the art of turning citizens into enemies. In any given ministry or government agency there is some kind of distant relative, the seventh water on jelly, godfather or friend of an acquaintance. He can speed things up, sometimes as a favor and sometimes for an appropriate bribe. A Greek who managed, in one way or another, to become a government official, in nine cases out of ten does not consider himself a servant of society. He becomes a kind of little dictator who is afraid to make any decisions on his own, but, on the other hand, he enjoys bullying the unfortunate petitioners. Even obtaining a small certificate turns into a real operation, which will take several hours or even days, since you have to deal with at least half a dozen officials, whom you have to walk over to get a signature from one, to put a stamp from another, to endorse third and so on.

Greek character

Greece in Greek is Hellas, and the Greeks are Hellenes and Hellenids (as they call themselves). Greeks are people of the Mediterranean, mild climate, caressed by the rays of the sun all year round. Like all residents of other countries around the Mediterranean Sea, they never rush anywhere, do not strain at work, do not try to "jump over their heads", try in every possible way to evade "duties" and, in general, live today. At the same time, they manage not to cross the lines of outright laziness and idleness. The spirit of competition is absolutely alien to the Greeks.

They cherish their over-inflated egos, and cherish an extreme passion for freedom of choice - which makes them completely immune to understanding the words "discipline", "coordination" or "system." In their peculiar interpretation of the word "freedom", the Greeks often confuse good manners and servile obedience, which they had to learn under the Turkish yoke in order to survive. They believe that being polite is only for slaves.

"I" is the favorite word of the Greeks. Absolutely every Greek considers himself to be the center of the universe. With all this, the southern temperament can be traced in the character of the Greeks very clearly. Greeks are cheerful, have a great sense of humor and do whatever they like with tremendous passion - they have fun and sadness, talk and dance, argue and even pray. Self-control, although invented by the ancient Spartans, is not only unknown to modern Greeks, but absolutely incomprehensible to them. The Greeks give full vent to their emotions, and ... do not care about the consequences! They shout, scream, burst into pompous tirades, furiously curse fate in the same way, about important and not very important circumstances. No feeling is considered too personal to remain unexpressed. Their passions know no bounds.

Such an overflowing incontinence often translates into a burning need to express oneself in some kind of physical form. The most striking facet of the Greek character can be seen in dances. All over the world, people dance when they are happy. The Greeks, on the other hand, tend to pour out the deepest pain and heartache in a majestic dance rhythm that breaks the heart.

The most significant Greek dance is ... sirtaki. This is the very dance, without which not a single holiday can do, and which has long become the hallmark of the country. Despite the fact that he himself is very young (the "classic" version of sirtaki was invented, literally, in a few minutes by Mikis Theodorakis for Jeremy Arnold's Hollywood film "The Greek Zorba", in 1964), he absorbed many dance elements from true folk dances of the country - Cretan "pidichtos" and "sirtos", Athenian "hasapiko", island "nafpiko", continental "zeybekiko" and dozens of others. And the Greeks themselves, without looking back at tourists, dance all the same ancient folk dances, simply calling them "sirtaki" - for brevity and clarity to strangers. By the way, it is quite possible to see the same "sirtaki" at a youth disco, or absolutely unthinkable dance variations at any wedding, or, which is not uncommon, at a funeral. At the same time, musical instruments are used just as ancient - the indispensable bouzouki (another visiting card of the country, also revived from oblivion by the composer Mikis Theodorakis), lute, lyre, reed flute, bagpipes, mandolin and others. And the most favorite dance of the Greeks is no, not sirtaki, but zeybekiko, similar to the dance of a drunken sailor. Performed, as a rule, by one man. Spectators sit in a circle and applaud. Tired one, the next entered the circle, and so on.

But - do not forget about the dual nature of the Greeks. With the incandescence of the Greek temperament, the ice of the well-known indifference of the Greeks to everything connected with the improvement of social life or to any worthy cause that will not bring them personal benefit is organically combined.

Greeks move and drive in an aggressive manner, and their actions are completely free from any concern for the welfare and tranquility of others. Don't expect them to say “thank you” and “please,” and don't expect the Greeks to remain calm in times of crisis.

A Greek cannot speak if his hands are busy, he is a quiet Greek - one who can be heard no further than the next street. Two friendly Greeks chatting sound like they are ready to kill each other. Greeks proclaim their views not only in countless coffee houses, but also on the streets, in buses or in minibuses. Greeks love to listen to themselves, and when they are carried away by their own rhetoric, wild exaggerations and broad generalizations can easily be misleading. In Greece, during a conversation, it is not customary to look away from the interlocutor. If a Greek “broadcasts into space” - you can be sure that the conversation is about something not very important and the interlocutor is clearly bored.

Greece has its own code of honor, and it is called "filotimo". This literally means generosity, and hospitality, and respect for others (especially for elders), love of freedom, personal pride, dignity, courage, certainly - a sense of humor and a dozen more concepts. The most prominent philosophers of the country (both modern and ancient) have repeatedly turned to the description of the various components of "filotimo". Lies, non-repayment of debt, failure to fulfill promises - all this can become an indelible stain for life, therefore, many Greeks try to avoid such "offenses", at least in relation to their relatives and friends. In relation to “strangers”, petty cunning or dishonesty is “kind of allowed”.

Drunkenness and being drunk in a public place in Greece is regarded as an inability to control oneself, and is by no means encouraged. Therefore, the Greek will never insist on "one more" at the table - the sense of proportion and the art of wine drinking have been elevated to a cult here since ancient times! Nobody dreams of the reputation of a drunkard in this country, and any bad deed in a drunken stupor can ruin a person's whole life.

In provincial towns, even on the streets, everyone greets everyone, moreover, often more than once a day. Handshakes are intended only for acquaintance: friends say to each other "Yia sou!" and kiss on both cheeks, regardless of gender and age. Bowing and kissing hands are reserved for the priests of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Legends are circulating about the lack of integrity of the Greeks. There is only the concept of "approximate time", since the Greeks are very loose about all time frames. Even the very concept of the time of day for the Greeks is their own - the morning is everything that is before 12:00 (that's why the greetings of "kalimera" and "kalisper" have rather clear boundaries), "after lunch" comes no earlier than 17:00 - 18: 00, although the Greeks actually dine much earlier! In Greece, dinner begins no earlier than 21:00, and the "evening" stretches well past midnight. The timetable for most vehicles here is a concept so conditional that the mark "12:00" will most likely mean "somewhere from 11:00 to 13:00", and "after 15:00" and even "whether will come or not. " Local flights are also not punctual, and although international flights depart and arrive more or less on time, people make jokes about the Greek national airline, for example: The plane is about to land in New York, and the pilot asks the dispatcher for the local time ... "If you are Delta," he replies, "the time is fourteen zero-zero, if you are Air France, it is now two o'clock, and if you are Olympic Airways, today is Tuesday."

No other country in the world boasts so many coffee houses, cafes, cafeterias, taverns, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and bouzouki venues, all packed with visitors seven days a week. Throughout the country you will not find a city square that, on a sunny day, would not be filled with tables and chairs, lounging on which, the majority of the country's population while away time in idleness, as if tomorrow never comes. The Greeks also love coffee. With ice.

Eating out is the favorite pastime of the Greeks, especially if the restaurant he has chosen has a show or live music. The Greek idea of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe best way to spend the evening is to sit at the table of one of the taverns, preferably in the company of two or three married couples (sometimes with children), then they begin to eat excessively, drink moderately and chat a lot until late at night , while the kids are having fun, dragging street cats by the tails, or just falling asleep from fatigue on the chairs. Greeks are not aggressive. There are almost no fights in the bars. Maximum, they will shout and wave their hands, after a while they will calm down and will communicate as if nothing had happened.

The Greeks not only produce a lot of tobacco, they also smoke a lot of it. Smoking is seen as a sign of "modernity," and given the famous Greek self-indulgence, it is already difficult for adults to break the habit. At the same time, the total life expectancy of the Greeks is about 79 years for men, and women live a little longer - up to 82 years.

Greeks don't like to work. Greece has 12 public holidays plus 22 working days of paid leave. And also weekends, sick leave, obligatory various strikes - all this allows an enterprising Greek, for about six months, to do what he loves more than anything else - that is, to do nothing. As a result, during the two weeks around Christmas and during the Easter holidays, as well as during the two hottest summer months - July and August - life in the country literally freezes.

None of the Greeks considers himself a sinner, everyone is convinced that when he dies, he goes to heaven, everyone believes in an afterlife (moreover, in a good and comfortable life). After death, the Greeks rest in marble tombs crowned with large white marble crosses. Three years after the burial, the bones are dug up and placed in family tombs, thus solving the problem of overpopulation in cemeteries. Flowers, fresh or artificial, and constantly burning oil lamps, in intricate glass fixtures, are standard grave decoration.

Greek hospitality

"Xenos" in Greek means both "foreigner" and "guest". Already at the time of Homer, hospitality in Greece was not only a kind of ritual, with a slight religious connotation, but also turned into an art form. The Greeks were the first "xenophiles" in the world - that is, they loved friendly strangers.

Greeks are incredibly hospitable people. They are very fond of guests and love to visit themselves. A guest for a Greek guest is something sacred. Unlike many neighboring countries, it is customary in Greece to receive guests in their own home, and not in a cafe or restaurant, although the latter is not uncommon.

Reception of guests is associated with an endless series of customs and ceremonies. Well, for example, the Greeks, by the nature of the first guest, judge what the day, week or year will be: if a calm person comes, it means that there will be a quiet period, noisy and fiery, so everything will be fun, and so on.

If you decide to visit a Greek home, nothing is impossible. You will be the perfect guest if you follow the minimum number of simple rules. For example, you should not cross the threshold of a house with your right foot (especially in the provinces they pay attention to this), you should wish something good to the whole house and its owners at the entrance, bring a small gift with you, and, of course, behave with dignity at the table ... Flowers, sweets or wine are perfect as a gift, and remember, in Greece it is not customary to open gifts in front of guests.

Be sure to praise the hostess or the cook - for a Greek, a person who knows how to cook deliciously is often almost a saint, therefore, any praise addressed to them will be received with special enthusiasm. The main thing here is not to overdo it! Everything else is quite European.

A Greek feast is always a feast and a whole set of various traditional elements that a foreigner won't remember the first time around. Serving dishes, their order and selection - all this has its own meaning and significance for the Greek. Often, lunch or dinner moves quickly or even initially organized in the fresh air - in the courtyard, on the veranda. We must be prepared that in the course of the feast more and more new guests will join - both those invited and those who have “looked at the light”. Therefore, almost half of the evening you will have to greet and get to know someone. So do not be surprised if visiting a Greek friend by the end of the evening you will get to know half of the village! Here it is so accepted, everyone knows everything about everyone and often communicates.

The Greek table manners leave much to be desired. Elbows scurry back and forth, getting into neighboring plates, a neighbor can drop into your shoulder in an unequal struggle with a stubborn piece of meat. In common dishes with appetizers and salads, fingers are crawled and individual pieces of bread are dipped in the common sauce. At the same time, everyone is chatting and chewing without closing their mouths. But they more than compensate for their "manners" with a good mood and lively sociability.

Often Greeks like to organize a feast in a restaurant or tavern. Sometimes one gets the impression that all Greek men do nothing but sit in a cafe and drink. In fact, this is not entirely true: Greeks often run into such establishments, but rarely stay there for a long time, only in the evenings noisy companies of friends and acquaintances gather here. Any cafe is a meeting place, a point of exchanging news and settling affairs, and only then an institution where you can drink and sit. This is the main place where any Greek man hears the latest gossip, meets with business partners, friends and relatives, often receives guests or celebrates holiday events. As a rule, if a Greek invites someone to dine, then he also pays the bill. It is wrong to offer to participate in the payment of the bill, since for a local resident the inability to pay his bill is humiliating. Interestingly, Greeks almost always pay tavern or restaurant bills in cash only. By the way, the word "symposium" in translation from ancient Greek means "drinking together."

Many tourists in Greece report the lack of attention of the waiters to the lonely visitor. This is not due to their laziness or unwillingness to serve you, but precisely because of the tradition of this country to visit taverns with large companies. The Greeks believe that if one person is sitting at a table, it means he is just waiting for the company - then the menu and everything else will be offered, while it is simply pointless to waste time and energy on it. However, the natural slowness of the Greeks here, nevertheless, has a place to be.

As in all Mediterranean countries, the ritual of the siesta, or afternoon rest, is sacredly observed in Greece. From 14:00 - 15:00 to 17:00 - 18:00, some establishments simply do not work, and those that are open clearly have a reduced staff. During these hours, it is not customary to make appointments, make phone calls, or just make noise.

Greek language

For centuries, Greek was the language of communication of the ancient world in the Mediterranean region. It was the language of culture and trade. Not a single educated Roman could do without the Greek language, and therefore, thousands of words penetrated into Latin and from there passed into modern European languages. In English alone, about a third of the entire vocabulary is either words of Greek origin, or transcription from Greek. In addition to medical, scientific and literary terms, as well as hundreds of names of plants, animals and chemical elements, words of Greek origin in the modern language are presented in the range from "auto" to "iamba".

Modern Greek (or Modern Greek) is actually quite different from the ancient Greek language, and has undergone major changes over the centuries. The Greeks are very proud of their language (the Greeks, in general, are proud of everything Greek), characterizing this by the fact that they speak the language of Homer, but in fact, modern Greeks would not have understood Homer. The thing is that in the modern Greek language there are much more Slavic or Turkish word forms than ancient ones. In addition, different local dialects are used in different regions of Greece, for example: "sfakya" - in Crete, "tsakonica" - in the east and in the center of the Peloponnese, "sarakitsani" - in the mountainous regions, Vlash - in the northwestern regions, and so on. Further. In addition to territorial affiliation, dialects of the Modern Greek language should be distinguished by ethnic groups, for example: Romaniot (Greek Yiddish), Arvanitika (Albanian), Macedonian, Ruman and Pontic (the languages ​​of the Black Sea Greeks, which returned in the 90s to their historical homeland), Pomak (Bulgarian, with an admixture of Turkish words), Cypriot, Gypsy, Turkish and so on. And it cannot be otherwise, in this historical cauldron, from time immemorial, too many nationalities "cook".

The Greek language, in general, is very beautiful, too exotic and soft for prim Europe. And it's not easy to learn at all. Additional difficulties in the perception of this beautiful language are its division into 2 separate branches: the “pure” (“kafarevusu”) form of the modern Greek until the beginning of the 20th century, and the simpler “demotic” (colloquial version). "Demotics", which has absorbed many common words and borrowings from Italian, Turkish and Slavic languages, served as the basis of the modern language. However, in the second half of the twentieth century, an intensified revival of the "kafarevusa" began, so to speak, the artificial purification of the Greek language from foreign words, which gave rise to considerable problems. "Demotics", however, has retained its popular basis and is used in schools, on radio, television and in most newspapers. However, the church and jurisprudence, as before, use their forms of "kafarevus", which can already be safely considered independent dialects, since many Greek emigrants do not understand them.

Greek grammar is fairly complex: nouns are divided into three genders, all with different endings in the singular and plural. All adjectives and verbs must agree with nouns in gender and number. In general, Greek, according to its rules, is very similar to Russian, and this similarity only complicates the auditory perception.

Accepted forms of the Greek greeting: "kirie" - "lord", "kiriya" - "mistress". Depending on the time of day, the greetings "kalimera" ("good morning", "good afternoon"), "kalisper" ("good evening") are used. Thank you sounds like "efcharisto" in Greek. You should know that “ne” in Greek means “yes”, and “no” means “ohi”. They also shake their heads incorrectly. Answering in the negative, the Greek slightly nods his head from the bottom up (as we mean "yes"), and not from side to side (in this case, he wants to show that he does not understand). A signal with a spread palm in the face of the interlocutor means extreme indignation, rotation of the palm means surprise, and so on. And in general, the gestures and body language of local residents are, at times, no less expressive than speech, therefore, sign language is considered a very important part of the conversation here. But the meaning of many of them, at times, is very different from those adopted in our country.

The Greeks themselves are very respectful of the attempts of foreigners to learn at least a few words in Greek. Tourists who know a few Greek words automatically move from the idle visitor category ("touristas") to the more "noble" category of the guest ("xenos" or "xeni").

Religion of Greece

Religion occupied an important place in ancient Greek culture. However, unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks dressed the gods in human garments. It was important for them to enjoy life. The Greeks imagined that out of chaos was born earth, darkness, night, and then light, ether, day, sky, sea and other great forces of nature. The older generation of gods was born from heaven and earth, and from them already Zeus and other Olympic gods. Sacrifices were offered to the Olympian gods. It was believed that the gods, like people, need food. The Greeks also believed that the shadows of the dead needed food, and tried to feed them. Each temple had its own priest, and the main temples had an oracle. He predicted the future or reported what the Olympian gods said.

Chronologically, the emergence of Christianity can be attributed to the middle of the 2nd century AD. On the ashes of the Greco-Roman pantheon, a more mature idea of ​​monotheism arose, moreover, the idea of ​​a God-man who was martyred for our salvation. Due to the official non-recognition of Christianity at the very beginning of its existence, the adherents of the new faith were forced to gather in secret. Over the course of a thousand years, Christianity has gone from scattered underground societies to one of the most important forces influencing the development of civilizations.

By the 8th century, the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople began to argue over many issues related to religion. One of the many differences of opinion is the celibacy of the clergy (priests of Rome must observe the vow of celibacy, whereas an Orthodox priest can marry before his ordination). Also, there are some differences in food during fasting or in the wording of some prayers. Disputes and objections between the spiritual leaders of Orthodoxy and Catholicism became more and more intense, and in 1054 the Patriarch and the Pope finally parted with each other. The Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church - each of them embarked on its own path of development: this division is called heresy. Today, Orthodoxy is the national religion of Greece.

All Greeks are Orthodox. Moreover, this is a terribly believing nation. The role of the Orthodox Church in the life of the average Greek is difficult to overestimate. The Greek Orthodox Church is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch and, according to the constitution, the church is separated from the state, however, at least half of the salaries of priests are paid by the state. The priest is a very respected person in the local community, most Greeks do not imagine a wedding or funeral ceremony without a church, and there is nothing to say about baptism or Easter. Greece has a law allowing civil marriage, and it has been in effect since 1982, however, until now, 95% of couples get married in a church. Images always hang in every house, and you can see them in almost all offices, shops and even on buses or taxis. In many schools, the school year begins with the blessing of the priest; in some, the Law of God is also taught.

Church customs and ordinances are strictly observed in every Greek family, and they are taken very seriously. The most common time to attend services is Sunday. Passing or driving past churches, every Greek believer will cross himself. Such large religious holidays as Christmas, Epiphany and Easter turn into massive festivities in Greece.

Every city, commune, trading community or church has “its own Saint” and a special holiday in his honor, which usually turns into a “panigiri” - a religious and cultural festival, during which various church services, banquets, music and dance performances are held ... Most Greeks do not celebrate their birthday, but the day of “their” Saint, in whose honor they received their name, is certainly. Greek ingenuity introduced even pagan gods, like Dionysus or the ancient philosophers Socrates and Plato, into the face of the Saints, and therefore there are many reasons for holidays here.

The religion of Greece is present in many different aspects of Greek society. The Orthodox Church also influences some political issues and every time a new decision is made that does not satisfy the Orthodox leaders, this is always accompanied by disapproval from the representatives of the church.

What is Orthodoxy here, Greece is one of the recognized world centers of monastic life. Only in this country (and nowhere else in the world) there is a separate theocratic male state of Athos, where only men live (women can never (!) Set foot on this land - those who disobey face a long prison term) and only monks (although not all Greek by origin). Also, one of the places of worship in Greece is the famous Meteora monasteries built on the rocks.

For their incredible piety, the Greeks are also an incredibly superstitious people. In Greece, everyone believes in the power of the evil eye, you will not meet a child who would not wear, as an amulet, a turquoise bead, sometimes with an eye painted on it. For the same reason, turquoise beads adorn the necks of horses and donkeys in villages. A Greek would never dare to praise someone's elegance and beauty, especially children, without spitting and knocking on wood three times. This is done to ward off the envy of the gods when you praise someone. It is considered a bad omen not to offer anything to drink to anyone who comes to their house, regardless of the time of day. On the Saturday before Easter, "for good luck," a plate will definitely be broken (this symbolizes the rejection of death), the same ceremony will be performed at the wedding. And the sacrifice of a lamb or a lamb is generally an integral part of many Christian holidays in the country, like many centuries ago, in the days of completely different gods. However, what else can be expected in a country where, to this day, the Parthenon stands and Olympus rises, and almost a third of the mountains and valleys bear the names of the ancient gods.

Clothing of the Greeks

Fashion and clothing of Ancient Greece were distinguished by five features: regularity, organization, proportionality, symmetry, expediency. In ancient culture, the human body was first considered as a mirror reflecting the unity and perfection of the world. Even in the archaic period, women's Greek clothing was distinguished by the harmony of lines created by flowing fabrics.

In the classical era, clothing emphasized the beauty of the female body, ennobled by gently falling
fabrics through which it is slightly outlined, and when moving, its forms clearly show through. In ancient Greece, the fabric was not sewn, but only vertically gathered in folds that resembled the flutes of Greek columns. The organization or arrangement of clothing was dictated, on the one hand, by the material, on the other, by the fashion of that era: according to the canons of that time, the dress was not cut. The symmetry of the dress was determined not only by the rectangular piece of material from which it was made, but the clothes were entirely subject to the natural lines of the human body and favorably set them off.

The four-cornered woolen wrap was the same for both men and women, but as men's clothing it had the name hen, and as women's - peplos. He was wrapped around his body and tied on his shoulders with hairpins. This was the so-called Dorian clothing, created according to a completely original principle - without cutting and sewing. This principle can be considered a discovery of the most ancient Hellenic culture. This is probably the oldest type of Greek dress, and since it was made of wool, it was very heavy. Under the sickly men wore a narrow apron tied around the hips. Only thin linen, which replaced wool, can make clothes graceful and light.

Women's clothing was much more varied and colorful than men's. Its main types were also chiton and himation, but besides them there were others. A chiton with a lapel was a rectangular piece of fabric 60 - 70 cm larger than human height, sewn in the lobar direction. Its upper edge was folded back by 50-60 cm, then, fastened with buckles - fibulae on the shoulders, slightly draping the front part. At the places of fastening, the lapel was draped with several folds. The chiton was girded with a belt, distributing its entire width in even soft folds around the figure or only in the center of the front and back.

Diploydium (chiton lapel) was the subject of special care and panache of Greek women, it was often trimmed with embroidery, and in the Hellenistic era it was made from fabric of a different color. The length of the diploydia could be different: to the chest, hips, knees. The loose folds and draperies of the diploidy made the costume more picturesque, and the ratio of its main parts (the diploydium, the kolpos and the lower part of the chiton) created excellent proportions, which made the figure more slender.

Intricate hairstyles, adorned with gold nets and tiaras, were worn mainly by getters. The venerable mothers of noble families, engaged in the economy, adhered to ancient customs: their appearance was distinguished by restraint and modesty. Greek women rarely wore headdresses, hiding in bad weather with the upper edge of the himation or chlamyd.

At home, the ancient Greeks walked barefoot and put on shoes only before going outside. Most often, ipodimats were worn - sandals consisting of a sole (leather or wooden) and several belts with which the sole was tied to the foot. If small sides were sewn to the sole, a different type of shoe was obtained - crepidae. They, too, were kept on the leg with the help of belts, which were threaded through the holes made in the sides, and crosswise covered the foot to the ankle. In addition to sandals, the ancient Greeks wore soft leather ankle boots (peaches), as well as high leather or felt boots - endromids, which covered the back of the leg, and tied in front with complex lacing. At the same time, the toes remained open. Women's shoes, in principle, differed little from men's, but they were more elegant. It was painted in bright colors (yellow, red and others), sometimes even silver or gilded. But, this was all before, but what about now?

Modern Greeks are some of the tidiest inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Unkempt in clothing or appearance for a Greek is a sign of poverty, not "advanced". Neither men, nor, moreover, women save on clothes here. Losing noticeably to their Italian neighbors in terms of the general standard of living, the Greeks spend on clothes practically the same as the well-known “fashionistas of Europe”. In the street crowd you can meet people dressed "according to the pattern", in fact, the Greeks very clearly distinguish between clothes "for work" and "for themselves." They try to dress simply, comfortably and somewhat conservatively.

With all this, the Greeks also cherish their traditions very much. The folk Greek costume is a richly ornamented shirt, an embroidered vest, a black skirt with a bright apron or a red scarf with pendants, which can be seen on holidays no less often than a three-piece suit or a business dress. Even the guards of honor at the national shrines are not in full dress army uniforms, but in traditional skirts, vests, tight pants and “slippers with pompoms” - the respect of local residents for their history and traditions is so great here.

The attitude of the Greeks to money

Greeks have a very peculiar attitude to money. Probably not in vain, Greece is reputed to be one of the "poorest countries of the European Union" in terms of per capita income. The Greeks "are not trying to make money." They will never strain beyond measure to earn by their own labor, but they will take a million tricks to do it without any extra effort.

The cherished dream of every modern Greek is to get rich as soon as possible, preferably without lifting a finger. For many Greeks, buying a lottery ticket is as much a habit as reading the morning newspaper, and once they buy a ticket, they begin to dream of what they will do with all the money they win. The day of the draw (and, accordingly, the disappointment) comes, and everything starts all over again - they buy new tickets and start dreaming again. Likewise, game shows are popular, offering a range of prizes from toasters to cars to quench the Greeks' thirst for easy enrichment.

The Greek needs money to spend it, and, for show, so that everyone will notice - on sports cars, dazzling jewelry (real, of course), clothes from famous couturiers, fur coats, country houses and flower baskets. Everything else - a successful career, a successful marriage, family - is in second place.

They want to have a good time and live for their pleasure here and now, and tomorrow let them roll to the devil! A Greek can spend a month's salary on a single party and spend the remaining time until paycheck penniless, but with a satisfied grin on his face. The Greeks manage to take pleasure even in situations that plunge other peoples into deep despondency. Their unbridled optimism is expressed in the common phrase "God willing!" and in the well-known concept of "maybe". It is much more important for them to show the very fact of having money than to have it in reality. The broad soul of local residents does not allow them to put themselves at the service of money, rather the opposite. Neither education, nor upbringing, nor wealth creates a person in Greece, and their absence does not give rise to a scoundrel.

Nevertheless, some Greeks in business have achieved notable success - especially those who live abroad: there are surprisingly many Greeks on the list of the 100 richest people on the planet. Basically, these are the people who believe in free trade, fair deals and keep their word. While abroad, Greeks adhere to the business ethics of the host country. In Greece itself, they demonstrate all the national traits of character: they can be lazy, indecisive, careless, annoyingly inept. Apparently the climate of Greece absolutely does not set people up for work ...

Greek society, in essence, is a society ruled by men, but quite a few women hold high positions. They succeed in their careers without using or sacrificing their femininity. However, sexual harassment and harassment in the workplace are rare. Since most jobs are taken on the personal recommendation of friends or family, no one wants to risk their job. You can throw the bait, but if they don't peck at it, well, no complaints.

Great Greek wedding

The god of marriage in ancient Greece was Hymen, hence the name of wedding songs - hymen. The young people prayed to Aphrodite - the goddess of love, Artemis - for procreation, Athena, so that she would give the spouses worldly wisdom, Hera and Zeus, who took the newlyweds under their protection. According to statistics, the age at first marriage in Greece is 27 for girls and 31 for men.

A Greek wedding is an event that will be remembered for a lifetime. The wedding day is a cycle of ancient traditions and rituals, and the sacred ceremony is full of symbolism and mystery. The wedding is usually preceded by an engagement - a tradition according to which the groom asks for the hand of the bride's father, and upon receiving consent, invites the priest to consolidate the "agreement of intent": to bless the wedding rings and put them on the ring fingers of the left hands of the engaged. Guests invited to celebrate the engagement wish the couple a happy wedding.

Preparations for a wedding in modern Greece can begin on Sunday, a week before the wedding. On this day, the groom sends henna to the bride. Wedding preparations begin on Monday. The bride, with the help of her bridesmaids, dyes her hair with henna received from the groom, at this time a special song is sung.

Two days before the wedding, representatives of two families gather in the bride's father's house: to look at the dowry and evaluate the wedding dress. Unmarried bridesmaids make her bed, rice, rose petals, money are thrown on her, wishing, thereby, a happy and prosperous life. They also put babies on the bed to ensure fertility for the couple. If a boy is put in, then a boy is expected first, in a new family, if a girl, then a girl.

Greeks celebrate their wedding for three whole days, usually starting on Saturday and ending on Monday. On the first day, relatives and friends begin to have fun, on Sunday the ceremony and wedding itself takes place, and on Monday, according to Greek tradition, the bride will be obliged to show everyone her marital devotion and ability to manage the household.

On the wedding day, the bride and groom each dress in their own home. Tradition requires the bride to be dressed by unmarried bridesmaids, and the groom to be shaved and dressed by his friends. On the sole of her shoe, the bride writes the names of unmarried girlfriends - the one whose name will be erased first, and will soon get married. Before leaving her father's house, the bride dances a farewell dance with her father. An important moment of the ceremony is the bride's exit from the house. She must pretend in every possible way that she resists, that she is being taken away by force.

Finally, the groom takes the bride out, both holding the ends of the same scarf. The bride says goodbye to her family, she is given a glass of wine. She takes three sips and tosses it back over her shoulder. When getting into the car, the bride should not look back or come back for a forgotten thing - this is considered a bad omen, also, and the groom should not see the bride or her dress before church. Young people go to church to get married, although sometimes the wedding takes place in the usual Politikogamo - in our opinion, the registry office. "A wedding without a church and a wedding is not a wedding for the Greeks." It is customary in Greece to get engaged. It is very rare to marry without engagement. When betrothed, the rings are worn on the left hand, and when married, the rings are removed from the left hand and put on the right.

The bride is brought to the groom, waiting at the entrance to the church decorated on the occasion of the celebration, by her father or brother. The Greek wedding ceremony is in many ways similar to the wedding ceremony in the Russian Orthodox Church. The ceremony begins when the bride and groom are given white candles in their hands, symbolizing the couple's willingness to accept Christ. Then, there is an exchange of rings, moreover, this procedure, like many others, is performed by the Greek best man - kumbaros.

After the prayers, a wedding ceremony takes place: the heads of the bride and groom are covered with thin crowns, called Stephanas, connected with a white silk ribbon and received the blessing of the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor bestowed on the couple by God, and the ribbon symbolizes unity. After reading the Gospel (about marriage in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into wine), the couple is served wine in a common bowl, from which the bride and groom drink three times.

In Greece, the cost of decorating the bride, including her underwear, is borne exclusively by the mother-in-law. The groom's best friend plays a special role in wedding expenses. The cost of wedding paraphernalia, as well as the wedding ceremony in the church, is paid by the groom's best friend.

After the wedding, the celebration itself will begin with the presentation of gifts, a feast, music and dancing. The wedding feast lasts almost all night. At a Greek wedding, be sure to smash the dish on the floor - for good luck. It is customary to throw money at musicians - so that young people have money. Another custom is to fix a lot of money on the bride, and sometimes on both newlyweds during the wedding reception. Guests give money for this.

The wedding dance of the newlyweds is an integral part of almost any wedding. At Greek weddings
the newlyweds begin to dance together, and then guests join them, forming a circle (traditional Greek dance). Greek weddings are distinguished by a large number of joint, friendly dances in a circle, while the guests put their hands on each other's shoulders.

Well, of course, all Greek weddings are distinguished by a large number of guests. All relatives, close friends and even barely familiar people are invited to a wedding in Greece. At least 400 guests come to the wedding, moreover, you can never know until the end how many people will come, because the invited guests can easily take 10-15 more people with them, and this is considered normal. Average weddings are held in a grand scale of 700 - 800 people. Especially important Greek families can have up to 2,000 people at a wedding !!!

Greek family

Greek family ties are so strong that you can often find three or even four generations living in the same house, or at least close enough to literally shout out to each other. In rural areas, grandparents live with their children and look after their grandchildren. In cities, the picture is closer to the European one, but even here it is simply impossible to imagine a Greek family without numerous relatives who visit each other daily or live nearby. Even after children grow up and begin to live their own lives, they will certainly return to their parents, at least on vacation or holidays, which is not typical for European society as a whole.

But, the Greeks are not real Europeans. More precisely, they are different. Greeks feel a strong attachment to their village, district or region. Compatriots, albeit informal, are a very important factor here. Well, if among the fellow countrymen there are relatives, albeit distant ones, then the joy of the Greek will not end. At the same time, the majority of Greeks, even those who moved to cities long ago, try to preserve their own land and home in the countryside - some for recreation, some, like a summer cottage or summer house. In the event of any problems, the Greeks, first of all, seek help from loved ones and only then - to some state or financial authorities.

Respect for elders is undeniable. The elders are the first to enter the room, the first to sit at the table, direct all ceremonies and are the main advisers in all aspects of family life. In the event that several elderly people are sitting at the table, they are guided by the eldest, even if he is not a member of the family. Tradition forces younger women to publicly submit to men and not contradict them, however, older women in the family can interrupt the conversation of men without fear. Shouting and swearing in public are considered a sign of inability to solve their affairs independently and calmly, and therefore they are frankly not welcome. A man has practically no right to publicly raise his voice to a woman - not she herself, so those around him will quickly “stick” to him the label of a weakling, which in local conditions can be very difficult to fix. However, this again concerns the Greeks themselves - in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, the picture may be completely different.

In cities, there is no such thing as “living in sin,” and since now, according to the law, women no longer take husbands' surnames (children can choose any), there is no way to find out whether a couple is married or not. The words "husband" and "wife", which, however, in Greek are the same as "man" and "woman", are used regardless of marital status.

When a young couple gets married, families on both sides help them to improve their daily life and household. Local Greek houses, often, have a rather characteristic look of "eternal construction", from the roof of which a forest of reinforcement sticks out, and protective films hang from the walls. These are the features of local construction - there are not many places for new housing in mountainous Greece, "skyscrapers", due to seismicity, are very expensive to build, but it is necessary to expand. Often, such a kind of modularity is specially laid down in the project of a house so that the owner, in the future, does not have to waste time on additional approvals and drawings. Parents usually build or complete a house not for their sons, but for their daughters - they are the informal heirs of their parents here, although, by law, all children have equal rights. However, a simple rule is often observed - daughters inherit to their parents, sons - to grandparents, or vice versa.

Despite the Greek "machismo", in eight out of ten cases, the wife and mother are not nominal heads of the family, especially in cities. Most Greek men live under the thumb of women, but they would rather die than admit it. Mother is the most important and most beloved person in the house. For the Greeks, mother's cooking is always the most delicious, and therefore, when choosing a wife, a Greek will look for a girl who looks like his mother. Even middle-aged bachelors with their own apartments visit their mother almost daily, who will feed them delicious food and flawlessly iron their shirts. One Greek proverb even states that a wife always looks like a mother-in-law, and Greek women, from childhood, are raised to play the role of respectable mother-in-law and mother-in-law.

The Greeks traditionally give their firstborn names on the seventh or ninth day after birth. Greek names are not particularly diverse. In Greece, the first son in the family gets the name of his paternal grandfather, the second - the maternal grandfather. The first daughter gets the name of the grandmother from her father, and the second from her mother. They try not to give the name of the father to the son. Therefore, among the relatives, children with the same names are constantly found. When you meet a Greek, you can be sure - this is Yrgos, Yannis, Costas or Dimitris. The names Panayot, Maria, Vasiliki are popular among women. Women themselves can forget their full name - they are called diminutives all their lives. Every Greek name has a formal and colloquial form. At the same time, according to Greek laws, even the diminutive form of the name can be recorded in the passport if the Greek chooses it. The Greek patronymic is used infrequently, most often - in official documents, as well as in bibliographic records. A married woman changes her patronymic to her husband's patronymic.

Many Russian names come from Greece. The Greek names are: Alexander, Alexey, Andrey, Anatoly, Artyom, Vasily, Georgy, Gregory, Gennady, Denis, Dmitry, Eugene, Leonid, Nikita, Nikolai, Peter, Stepan, Fedor, Philip, Alla, Anastasia, Veronica, Ekaterina, Elena, Zinaida, Zoya, Ksenia, Irina, Larisa, Maya, Raisa, Sophia, Tatiana and many others.

Greek children are very loved in the family and usually live with their parents for a very long time - practically, until their own marriage. For a Greek, children are almost a sacred concept; a lot of traditions and customs revolve around them. Behind their angelic faces are overfed, spoiled, boastful, demanding fiends of hell. Parents may shout at them for appearance, but they themselves spoil them terribly, yielding to the most reckless demands of their children. As a result, most children develop all the worst qualities of a Greek character. Boys, being more spoiled, are much worse than girls. For them to continue the generic name - therefore, there is no word for them - a refusal at a tender age can make a future man impotent. There are slaps and slaps in the face, but real discipline is rare. At the same time, children's relationships with parents are rarely interrupted, no matter what happens, and do not degrade to the level of polite acquaintance, which is so common in the rest of the Western world.

The Greeks rank second in the world in terms of purity (after parts of the Japanese). Cleaning and scrubbing a house is a matter of honor and a favorite pastime of at least 90% of Greek housewives. Greek women are extremely proud of their homes. Even if they work, they devote the remaining hours to keeping the house clean and tidy and fulfilling the desires of their loved ones. Greek women have all modern kitchen units, but the Greeks themselves consider it "unmanly" to lift a finger at home, therefore, the entire household rests on the shoulders, exclusively, of women.

In recent years, the finest kitchen invention has come down to Greek homes: Filipino girls. There are about half a million Filipino maids in Greece - half of them work illegally. In addition to the Filipina maids, there are many Albanian au pair in Greece, and for many Greek housewives, these helpful ladies are a real help.

Greek women

For a long time, the woman of Ancient Greece served as the standard of beauty for Europeans. Her unearthly beauty inspired sculptors and painters who captured the images of Aphrodite, Athena or Demeter in art. Stately, slender, graceful, with a swan neck, dressed in a chiton flowing in folds, golden curls in a high hairstyle, decorated with ribbons and a diadem. Almost a goddess who descended from Olympus ... So, we dispel myths ...

Modern Greek women, for the most part, are short, of medium build, many are overweight. They are charming, smiling, almost all have beautiful hair. Many people go too far with cosmetics - almost always even the lightest makeup is based on an impressive layer of foundation, with which they are trying to "plaster" skin imperfections, since the skin of many Greeks and especially Greek women is bad! This is characterized by the peculiarities of the climate - the pores of the skin are constantly open, there is no winter or cold, they do not have time to "shrink", plus the way of life - an innumerable number of cups of coffee per day and smoking, smoking, smoking ...

Greek women are especially sensitive to jewelry. Moreover, not only for precious metals and precious stones, but also for jewelry. All kinds of "sparkles", beading, Swarovski crystals and their cheap counterparts - this is what every Greek girl / girl / woman has in the assortment.

For women in Greece, life is not at all bad - they have long had equal rights with men and have reached great professional heights, and since 1952 they have the right to hold public posts.

Greek men

"Good girls go to heaven, and bad girls travel all over the world." Every year flocks of tourists from cold European regions flock to the Greek islands to relax and bask in the sun. And here they are waiting for hundreds of thousands of hot Greek macho, into whose traps many ladies successfully fall. What are Greek men like?

Greece is a country where people live, work and rest who are not similar either externally or internally to any other people in Europe. It is they who give this corner of the earth a unique flavor. The Greeks are actually very handsome men. They appear to be southerners of short stature (the average height of most Greeks is 175 - 178 cm) with hot blood and a typical Mediterranean appearance. Tanned, dark-haired handsome men with a pumped-up torso, light unshaven and famous Greek profile - macho, no less. And after 35 years of age, they remain fit, well-groomed and energetic.

The main thing in the Greeks is the eyes of a bright turquoise color, reminiscent of a sea wave on a clear sunny day. Such eyes are found in both men and women. Correct chased profiles and figures that resemble revived statues - such is the beauty of the Greeks. In general, the outwardly male half of the Greek population is much prettier than the female.

You never know what kind of man you will meet in Greece. Here you can meet the wisest of the wisest men, and windy burners of life, and cunning "bigwigs", and strategists, and prostitutes, and "dust-throwers", and respectable, reasonably respected authorities, and talented creators, and just lazy stupid idlers ... Probably like in any other country. Therefore, it cannot be said that Greek men are very good or very bad. They are all different ... completely different ...

For the most part, Greek men are simple-minded and spontaneous, like children. They do not know how to hide emotions at all, and do not even try to do this. If a Greek wants to cry, he will cry; if he wants to laugh, he will laugh; if he wants to cry, he will cry. Sings, dances, argues - a Greek man does whatever he pleases. Moreover, with such a sincere, almost childlike spontaneity that it is impossible to be angry with him. If he wants to touch the hand of the interlocutor, he will not even “get worn out” at the expense of what and who might think about this.

Greek men have a feature that is characteristic only of this nationality. They are all very
they are attentive to the interlocutor, as if they are listening to him with all their bodies. Looking clearly in the eyes, listening to every word, the Greek will not miss a single detail. Well, who else can you pour out your soul like that! And guess who is the most affected by this? Of course - for women! That's how, lovely ladies, and fall for the hook, fall in love with Greek men, even if they did not give them any hint!

To say that Greeks love women is to say nothing. Due to the hot southern temperament, all Greek men are womanizers! Everything! Nobody hides it. And if the Greek does not cheat on his chosen one physically, in his fantasies he is the very last libertine. A guy can walk along the street in an embrace with a girl, and, at the same time, openly gaze at other girls, or even wink at them and make eyes. The gray-haired grandfather, walking around the house with a stick, does not consider it shameful to exchange a word or two with a young or not very young beauty, or, at least, just expressively look after her, smacking his lips thoughtfully.

Greeks are very hot, caring and attentive, jealous and sentimental. The main thing is not to forget that of the two the main man. Greek men have great difficulty in admitting their mistakes or not admitting them at all.

But, if you drop a Greek a little deeper, then behind the mask of a handsome and confident macho, an ordinary pompous man is hiding, while all Greeks, somewhere at the genetic level, consider themselves the heirs of the whole world. They will teach you for any reason, and, regardless of whether they are versed in this area or do not know it at all. A Greek man definitely needs to feel "half a head ahead" (or better - a couple of heads). They express their point of view very violently and temperamentally, supporting their opinion with active gestures.

Practically, all Greeks are very good fathers who give their child, at times, even more attention than mother. If a break occurs in the family, then the Greek will never leave the child and will take care of him with the same zeal as before the divorce. The Greeks love children very much, perhaps because in the depths of their souls they themselves remain children forever - the bond between a man and his mother cannot be broken until his death. A man, a mama's boy, is an extremely common phenomenon among the Greeks, and has already become some kind of mass disease, spreading with the speed of the flu. Before the child's old age, the mother buys clothes for him, chooses socks, the over-age uncle reports to the mother that he washed his hands, had lunch or will visit tomorrow, and before making an order in a restaurant, he calls his mother and advises on the choice of a dish. Such men in Greece are quite common - some are more spoiled by their mother, some less, but it is very difficult to get used to it. And all because the Greeks do not like the soul in their children! Here it is - the other side of the coin!

Sex with the Greeks

According to research carried out by the Durex company, the most sexually active nationality in the world (!) Turned out to be the Greeks. They have sex much more often than others (about 138 times a year) and practically everywhere. Why would it be Greeks? - you ask. It is no secret that the sea air oversaturated with iodine and the abundance of seafood have a positive effect on potency. Greek lovers lead all sorts of ratings in terms of sexuality. It seems that Hellas, with the permission of the voluptuous Eros, was created for love and carnal pleasures. Let's see where the “wind blows” from, and, as usual, take a look at the turbulent history of Ancient Greece.

From time immemorial, all Greeks indulged in adultery with voluptuousness, and sex was elevated into a useful science, the study of which in practice was extremely pleasant, therefore, everyone, always and everywhere, was engaged in its "study". The ancient Greeks also did not sin with same-sex relationships, incest and other perversions. The inquisitive Greek mind, for the first time discovered for mankind both anal sex and unbridled orgies (the word orgy is of Greek origin, and originally denoted religious mysteries associated with the cults of the gods of fertility). Everything that could bring even the slightest pleasure was used ...

The ancient Greeks considered carnal pleasures as the greatest gift of nature. The unfaithfulness of husbands and wives was not considered a sin and did not threaten marriage. Wealthy Greeks had a habit of filling their homes with flowers and spending time in the company of young naked girls. Demetrius - ruler Athens , took great care of his appearance, dyed his hair, indulged in unrestrained orgies, both with passionate women and with ardent young men. And among philosophers, in general, same-sex love flourished. It was equally a shame for the young men not to have a spiritual teacher and a mentor in sex.

In the pre-Spartan period, violence, pedophilia, prostitution and extramarital affairs were prohibited in Greece. In the days of Sparta, homosexuality began to be encouraged, and later became widespread, and the transfer of a wife "on loan" became commonplace.

Many have heard of the beautiful Greek heterosexuals. Greek heterosexuals should not be confused with prostitutes ("pornayi"). The latter performed only one function, and the getters, moreover, entertained the men with conversation, dancing and singing. They also went on military campaigns, like Thais, who gave the signal to set fire to Persepolis, conquered by Alexander the Great. Greek getters chose their own partners. In Athens, there was a special wall with proposals - Ceramic, where men wrote to getters with offers of a date. If the woman agreed, then she signed the meeting hour under the proposal.

Heter was not only not scorned, but highly valued for his intellectual and physical virtues. The historian Strabo testified that the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth contained more than a thousand hetaira. Many pilgrims came to communicate with them. As a result, the city grew richer.

The Greek writer Lucian described orgies held at the temple of Aphrodite at Byblos. All residents on a certain day were obliged to surrender to strangers for money, Aphrodisia, a holiday in honor of Aphrodite, lasted all night and was a booze and copulation of everyone with everyone. Heterosexuals played the leading role at the ceremony.

The Greek poet Sappho, who lived on the island of Lesvos in 617 - 570 BC, is considered the ancestor of lesbian love. She raised girls from rich and noble families, preparing them for high society. She revealed to her students the art of seduction and pleasure between women.

Thessaly also had its own "interesting" holidays. The feast of Aphrodite Anosia, celebrated in Thessaly, was lesbian and began with erotic flogging. Then the women threw off their clothes and bathed in the sea. Coming ashore, the "horse-goddesses" pleased each other in all possible ways. Men were not allowed to the ceremony.

In the fall, the Greeks celebrated the Elysian Mysteries for nine days. "Immodest" actions were an integral part of the ritual. Noisy merry festivities began with abundant libations. Incest was part of the celebration. The priests obliged women to refrain from sexual intercourse for nine days before the Mystery. Probably, this was done so that they were untied to the fullest during the holiday.

In ancient Greece, sex was of great importance. Sex education of children began at a very young age. During the games, in honor of the national hero Diocleus, there were kissing competitions among beautiful boys. In Sparta, hypnopedias were held annually, dances of naked boys in honor of compatriots who died in the war. In Hellas, erotic dances, sikshny and cordex, have become very popular. The nude performers imitated the movements performed during intercourse. Usually these dances were an integral part of religious holidays and feasts.

The Hedonists did not want to give up pleasure even in times of war. The Athenian generals, in particular Kar, took flutists, harpists and hetaira on campaigns. After the battles, the command relaxed in their company. One of the rulers of Athens became famous for the fact that he loved to harness naked prostitutes to the chariot, who drove him around the city (!!!).

When Alexander the Great defeated Darius III, the conqueror arranged a "wedding" for himself and his closest associates. In one place, 92 (!!!) wedding beds were built, decorated with expensive fabrics, carpets, gold, silver and precious stones. The "grooms" lay down on them and copulated with the "brides" in front of each other. Yes, the ancient Greeks knew how to come off! Well, what is happening these days ?? And nowadays, the Greeks continue to enjoy the fruits of love and passion, and I must say, they do it very well, although they already do not indulge in unrestrained orgies (public morality condemns such behavior, but the forbidden fruit is especially sweet ).

Greeks are a very sensual people. Despite the apparent restraint with regard to sex, nothing could be more deceiving. If you overheard a sincere conversation among friends, you would not believe your ears: the descriptions of what they did, how, how many times and with whom, are so shameless, frank and adorned with such picturesque details that Aristophanes' collection of plays is a collection of Puritan moral teachings. By the way, according to polls of many European ladies, it was the Greeks who deserved the laurels of the best lovers - to the greatest annoyance of the Italians, who were only in second place.

For the Greeks, sex is a gift from the gods to humanity, and they enjoy this gift on such a grand scale that Greece has one of the highest abortion rates in Europe. At the same time, the Greeks do not experience an urgent need for sex toys and visual aids, which are so popular in other countries. There are few sex shops here, and porn films are viewed more for entertainment than as an additional incentive before sex. On the other hand, they strongly believe in the energizing properties of oysters and olive oil, and that carbonated drinks and soda damage their potency.

But, despite the ancient and rich history, the very love between a man and a woman in Greece is not at all diverse. Practically all couples use only one position - missionary. The Greeks themselves believe that they give themselves up to love so passionately that they simply do not have the strength to try other poses.

Forget the loyalty of Greek men - this is not held in high esteem here. Most men, happily married and not very happy, consider it a matter of honor for themselves to try to seduce any more or less presentable female person. Greek men enter into relationships to pamper their egos and spice up their daily lives, and whoever claims otherwise, it is very rare that they can be forced to divorce their wife and marry their mistress. The wife is safe on her throne, however, often the wife is inclined to repay him in kind. The most interesting thing is that every one of the Greeks considers their amorous adventures as a service to humanity, endowing the frozen pale northern maidens with the sun-soaked masculine power. And some, why hide, even take money for it. The Greek men who "accompany" the tourists for a fee are called "kamakia" - from the Greek "harpoon".

Today Greek travel companies offer foreign women to “rent” a living Greek god. A young man with the addition of Hercules is not inferior in knowledge to Apollo, and in matters of love, perhaps, he will outshine Adonis. The demand for such leisure companions for wealthy ladies is steadily growing, but it is incredibly popular.

Marry a Greek

Are you going to marry a Greek? Caught up in the net of these sultry southern beauties? We can say with confidence that your romance began in Greece. It is at its latitudes that most women "lose their heads" from local men. Arriving in Greece pale and tired, after a couple of weeks of Greek sun, male attention and octopus on coals with homemade wine, the lady suddenly notices that her skin is smoothed, her eyes are burning and she wants to live. Preferably in Greece. He falls in love and thinks: "Well, finally, I met Him" ​​and is already making plans for how they will heal splendidly and how they will be happy together on this earth, because He "loves her so much." If this story is about you, then, if you please, taste the Greek cuisine, seasoned with Mediterranean passions. Her menu is very simple, and almost the same for everyone: on the first - love and reckoning with white sauce, on the second - betrayal and treason with pepper and spices, and for dessert - a bitter retribution with chocolate mousse. To wash it all down is a red tart wine of many years of aging ...

"But there are happy couples!" - you exclaim. And you will be right, indeed, there are such. But, there are very few of them. At all. But, you cannot be dissuaded. Then let's sort it out in order who he is - a Greek man and is the devil as terrible as he is painted ...

Greek suitors, like men from most countries of the world, can be bad, smart, rich, poor, traitorous, betrayed. You should not judge a Greek by his words - they can speak, they can speak for a long time and are very beautiful, and they also know how to “hang noodles” professionally. Judge your Greek only by his actions (!). Those men who say "I love" after an hour of acquaintance are not sincere. They do not plan to develop a relationship, but want to get momentary pleasure (that is, sex). If you have another, "more serious" option, then you are very lucky. But, before the wedding, you still have to live. It can take 5 to 10 years to bring a Greek man to the altar. Although passionate Greeks swear in eternal love on the second day of their acquaintance, they are in no hurry to take decisive actions.

The Greeks still have a patriarchal way of life and the spirit of house-building. This is especially noticeable in the villages, and even in the cities it simply hides "under a thin layer of civilization." Many men in Greece are infantile and not ready to share housework with a woman. A common situation is when the wife sits at home with a newborn child, and the husband strolls around the taverns and complains to friends that the child is crying and does not let him fall asleep. Although, when children appear, the spouses take an equal part in their upbringing. But, with the boy, the husband spends more time.

By marrying a Greek, you will forever forget about the word "loneliness". Together with your husband, you will receive as a dowry his entire large family. Be prepared for the fact that you will have 3,000 relatives at once, and in the near future, after the wedding, it is better to learn all their names and family ties. Parents and relatives in general are something sacred and untouchable (for a wife). He himself can, with pleasure, swear with them, but you will not allow you to say a bad word about them.

But the real problem is his mom. You must make her an ally, not an enemy! Even Greek bachelors with their own apartments visit their mother almost daily, who will feed them and iron their shirts. And a Greek proverb says that a wife always looks like a mother-in-law. In Greece, it is customary that the daughter-in-law is not watching the mother-in-law in her old age, but the daughter-in-law. Therefore, the mother-in-law is trying with all her might to choose a daughter-in-law to her liking. Sometimes the son goes against it, but she does not back down. She just tries to change her daughter-in-law the way she wants. Therefore, with your mother, most likely, it will be difficult for you. She requires obedience and approval in everything, and also sees the highest good for you in life according to her recipes, and only according to them. You need to very tactfully and gradually win back independence in your personal life, stock up on great patience.

The dependence on her husband will be very strong and all-round. Until you learn the language and go to work (which is mandatory), you will be completely dependent on your husband in matters of obtaining a residence permit and citizenship, and after receiving it, in a few years you will be dependent. Divorce, if something went wrong in family life, is a matter for at least three or four years, and at the same time, a foreign wife, with a high probability, will not be able to defend her property and other rights in a Greek court.

The Greek husband loves to be praised and told how rare, handsome and compliant he is. Even if, in fact, this is far from the case. By praising the Greek, you thereby give food to his bloated ego. The words "I'm very lucky to have you" will work wonders.

Another unpleasant feature may be the polygamy of Greek men. It will be especially difficult for many ladies to put up with this, but the vast majority of Greek men like to walk to the left. There are, of course, exceptions to the rules, but we still have to try to find them.

In general, life in Greece is not sugar and not a resort, this must be clearly understood. But, if there is mutual love and trust, if the husband is a person in whose decency you are sure, under any circumstances, if you are ready to forgive him for his essential (!), And not sweet and innocent flaws, then family life with a Greek can turn out to be very successful.

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Tours to Greece - specials of the day

Greece, even despite the difficulties of recent years, is perceived by many as a holiday country. And this is really so, because the Greeks, in spite of everything, approach life with true Hellenic wisdom, preferring to live here and now, not missing the opportunity to enjoy simple things - the bright sun, cloudless sky and endless blue sea - that which he so generously endowed The creator of their country.

The Greeks know how to enjoy life, turning any holiday into an endless fun with music, dancing, jokes and laughter. At the same time, they do not forget about the great heritage of their ancestors. Any solemn event in Greece keeps the imprint of centuries-old traditions. The Greek wedding, which carried the customs of the past through the centuries, is no exception.

True traditional weddings can still be seen in the villages today. In cities, weddings, of course, are more modern, but they also try to preserve the national flavor. At the same time, in each region of the country you can find your own unique wedding customs.

Today, Greek law allows civil marriage to be dispensed with, but despite this, for most Greeks, a real marriage remains a sacrament performed by the Orthodox Church. Starting from the moment the couple announced their intention to get married, both families begin to prepare for the wedding and the subsequent celebration. Pre-wedding chores, like the wedding itself, will be accompanied by many interesting traditions.

Engagement

An important stage in the modern Greek wedding is the engagement or betrothal, which, according to the ancient Byzantine tradition, was customary to be held long before the wedding day, and today, for most peoples, it is almost never done separately from the wedding. Some Greek couples, for their own reasons, do not conduct engagement separately from the wedding, while others consider this rule to be unshakable. The betrothal takes place in the temple in the presence of guests. According to tradition, on this day the groom asks the bride's father for the hand of his daughter.

Photo from the site - yes-i-do.gr

When the parent's consent is received, the priest seals the agreement: having blessed the rings, he puts them on the ring finger of the left hand of the betrothed as a pledge of mutual fidelity, then they will exchange them three times. The rings will remain on the left hand until the wedding, during which they will find their rightful place on the ring finger of the spouses' right hand.

Dowry

Photo from the site - femmes.files.wordpress.com

Many modern women have a vague idea of ​​what a dowry is, it seems like something outdated from the times of great-grandmother's chests. The same cannot be said about Greek women, at least not about all. In some Greek families, especially in the villages, the custom of the dowry continues to this day.

The dowry is being prepared for years: this is sewing and embroidery, made by the hands of the bride herself and her mother.

Of course, this tradition has been preserved only symbolically, today the dowry does not have the same meaning as it was in the past, when women without dowry were not married.

The dowry on the eve of the wedding, usually on Thursday, is displayed, and numerous guests will be able to appreciate the beauty created by the bride and her mother.

Making the bed

Usually the modern wedding ceremony is scheduled by the Greeks on Saturday, and the whole celebration lasts three days until Monday. A lot will happen during these three days: a wedding, a feast, gifts, and guests 'visits to the newlyweds' house.

The pre-holiday fun begins much earlier.

The wedding is preceded by a bed-making ceremony, which traditionally takes place on Thursday. In the bride's house, both families gather in the company of guests to appreciate the dowry and, secretly from the groom, take a look at the wedding dress of his chosen one.

Then the fun begins. Unmarried relatives and girlfriends of the bride make her bed neatly and beautifully. The main task is to make the bed so that the groom likes it. He, in turn, with feigned discontent, even if the bed is perfectly cleaned, must rip off the bedspreads and sheets, thereby demanding a better cover. According to tradition, the resting is repeated until the groom is completely satisfied, but usually no more than three times. Kumbaros (the groom's witness) all this time, according to tradition, must sing old wedding songs. The whole action is accompanied by laughter and jokes.

Making the bed. Photo of the site - www.carpediem-hall.gr

When the groom is happy with the work of the bridesmaids, when the bed is finally made, the guests shower her with rice, coins, rose petals and almond dragees, thus wishing the future spouses wealth and happiness. Then the smallest of the children present will be selected and put on the bed to ensure fertility for the couple. If this is a boy, then the firstborn of a young family will be a boy, if a girl, then a girl will be born to the couple.

Names on the sole

Greek wedding custom is to write names on the sole. Photo from the site -about.madamekokovi.gr

On the sole of her shoe, the bride writes the names of her unmarried girlfriends. It is believed that the one whose name is erased first will soon put on her wedding shoes herself.

The beginning of the holiday

On the day of the ceremony, the bride and groom each put on wedding attire in their home. Tradition dictates that the groom is shaved and dressed by his friends, and the bride is helped to dress by unmarried bridesmaids.

Meanwhile, the guests gathered in both houses perform folk songs and dances.

Photo from the site - www.zoeica.com

When the preparations are over, a solemn procession departs from the groom's house to the bride's house. On the threshold of the future son-in-law, the bride's mother meets him, she presents him with a glass of wine and pastries in the form of rings. Having accepted the gifts, the groom kisses her hand and asks for her blessing. The bride's mother blesses the groom and kisses both cheeks. From that moment on, he is considered a full member of the family.

The exit of the bride

By tradition, in many regions of Greece, before leaving the parental home, the bride had to dance a farewell dance with her father.

Photo from the site - otodilos.com

The exit of the bride from her father's house is a real spectacle, it is accompanied by many customs. According to one of them, the bride should be sad, she may even cry that she is leaving the parental home.

Already leaving the threshold, she should not look back or return, this is considered a bad omen.

On the way to the altar

After the bride leaves, the whole procession goes to the wedding. On the way to the temple, the bride and groom should not be together. The bridegroom is the first to arrive at the church and is waiting for his future wife, standing at the door.

Photo from the site - www.zarpanews.gr

The bride is taken to the groom by her father or brother. There is a tradition according to which the bride should not immediately climb the steps of the temple, she needs to make several circles at the stairs in order to make the future husband nervous.

Sprinkle with rice

Interesting customs that differ in different regions of Greece.

Here is some of them:

• On the threshold of the newlyweds, the mother of the groom meets with honey or sweets, which she must feed both of them "for a sweet life" before they enter the house.
• The husband's mother should give the newlyweds a pomegranate fruit, which in ancient Greece was considered a symbol of prosperity and fertility. How many grains are in the fruit - so many children, happiness and prosperity for a young family.
• Both spouses must step on the threshold with the right foot, otherwise family life will not be happy.
• Entering the husband's house, the young wife must take the "gold" coins from the hands of his parents with her teeth. So they agree on mutual understanding, promising to speak to each other only "golden" words.

These are just a few of the long list of Greek wedding customs. In the old days, people deeply believed that performing the necessary ceremonies provided the newlyweds with a happy family life, so compliance with all the rules was an integral part of a Greek wedding. Nowadays, the richest traditions accumulated over the centuries make the Greek wedding an interesting, colorful and fun event.

Ancient wisdom says that the soul of every country is hidden not in its land, water or air, but in the people who inhabit it. It is their habits, traditions, national traits, common aspirations, hopes and dreams that shape its character and create that very unique aura, thanks to which one state can be immediately distinguished from another. And if this is really so, then Greece will appear before us cheerful and carefree, sly and a little pensive, ardent and temperamental, but at the same time surprisingly open and friendly, especially towards its guests.

Traditions of modern Greece

Greeks are very conservative by nature. They treat the customs of their ancestors with great respect, they sacredly believe in God, celebrate all church holidays, do not conduct business from two to five o'clock in the afternoon, observing a siesta and visit exactly the coffee house in which their fathers and grandfathers still sat. Even the richest and most Europeanized of them do not consider it shameful after work to change a suit from Armani to a free national outfit made of cheap cloth. They also lack small household habits, which over the years have turned into real traditions, ignorance of which can turn into a real scandal for an unlucky tourist.

So, if you are going on vacation to the country of Homer and Aristotle, it will not hurt you to learn a few basic rules

Rule # 1. When going to a Greek restaurant or cafe, always bring enough cash with you

The fact is that many Greek establishments outside the tourist area do not accept checks and credit cards at all. So, taking with you an insufficient amount of money, you can get into an extremely awkward situation. It will be especially unpleasant if you were in a restaurant with a business partner or friend from the local community. After all, among the Greeks, the inability to pay for yourself and your guest is considered a great humiliation, and your authority will greatly fall in his eyes.

Rule # 2. Going to the beach, be prepared to pay for a seat on the sun lounger

The vast majority of Greek beaches are divided into small sections, each of which is the personal property of the person who bought the license for it. Usually this is a local resident with a house nearby. He takes care of the cleanliness of his land and the piece of the sea to which it adjoins, personally buys and installs sun loungers and umbrellas there and makes sure that they are always reliable and tidy. For this, he has the right to charge a certain bribe from tourists wishing to use the beach equipment. If you do not want to pay it and make a scandal, he will certainly turn to the local tourist police, which, most likely, will not only write you a fine, but also permanently close the possibility of visiting this beach for you.

Rule # 3. Come back later or learn to wait

Time flows much slower in Greece than in the rest of Europe. And this phenomenon is explained simply by a pathological dislike for haste, which is present among the majority of the local population. The Greeks do everything thoroughly and sedately, they never rush anywhere and manage to completely ignore even the watch they wear on their wrist. So, when you come to a Greek restaurant, be prepared to wait for the ordered dish a little longer than you are used to, and your tourist bus, in the schedule of which the departure time is 9-30, will most likely leave no earlier than 10. Good morning in Greece talk until two o'clock in the afternoon. And dinner is usually served at 21-00, which makes ten o'clock in the evening not too late for a friendly or business call.

Rule # 4. Don't forget about tips

Leaving a tip in cafes and restaurants is considered by the Greeks to be a rule of good form. Thus, you thank the waiter for the service and let him know that you are completely satisfied with his work. The amount of tip must be at least 10% of the order value, but not more than 20%, otherwise the waiter may think that you simply do not understand the local currency and will try to return the money to you.

Rule # 5. If a Greek invites you for a walk - only he pays for everything

If your Greek friend invites you to have a couple of glasses at the nearest tavern or bar, don't even think about trying to pay for yourself. This can offend him so much that not a trace of your friendship will be left in a minute.

Rule # 6. If a Greek invites you to dinner, leave your wallet at home.

The easiest way to ruin your friendship with a Greek is to risk paying the bill at the restaurant he invited you to. Indeed, according to the customs of this country, such a step is considered a manifestation of extreme disrespect and even disregard for your companion.

Rule # 7. Going to visit a Greek - be sure to buy a gift

If you are invited to visit a Greek home, do not forget to bring along a small gift for its owners. By doing so, you will show them your affection and affection. Usually, flowers, good coffee or chocolate are bought in such cases. You should not give more expensive things, because their price can embarrass your Greek friends, and they will try to give away, putting you in an awkward position.

Way of life

The rhythm of life of the Greeks is in many ways different from that to which we are accustomed to in Russia. He is much more measured and calm. Even residents of large cities, such as Athens or Thessaloniki, are in no hurry and conduct their affairs imposingly and unhurriedly. But this does not mean that the Greeks work little. They get up early - around 6 am, drink their traditional morning coffee and leave the house to be at work by 7 am. Working life is in full swing until 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and then freezes, giving way to a long siesta, and resumes only at 17-18 o'clock in order to last until the evening.

Coming from work, Greek men usually devote some time to their family, after which they go to a coffee shop or tavern for a glass of Retzina (a popular white wine) or coffee and find out the latest news. Young people, on the other hand, go to discos, where both national music and modern tracks in the style of “pop” or “club” are equally popular. The Greeks go to bed quite late - somewhere around 12, or even by one in the morning, but this does not prevent them from actively and cheerfully starting the next working day.

Language features

The Greek language is rightfully considered one of the most ancient in the world - its history goes back more than 4 thousand years. The writing of the Greeks is more young - it is 3 thousand years old. It is believed that today Greek words and phrases can be found in absolutely any language of Europe. This is explained by the fact that the culture of the Hellenes was assimilated by the Romans, who, as you know, for many centuries undividedly owned the territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.

True, the language used by the Greeks today is quite different from the original ancient Greek - it is rather its southern dialect, diluted with Turkish and Italian words.

The morphology of modern Greek is a system of three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter), two numbers (singular and plural), and four cases (genitive-dative, nominative, accusative, and vocative).

Conversational Greek is not difficult at all to learn. It can be easily mastered in a few months of active communication, subject to full immersion in the language environment. Writing will be more difficult. You will have to spend at least a year studying it, unless of course you have special talents for languages.

Facial expressions and gestures

In terms of the richness of facial expressions and gestures, the Greeks confidently rank first among the peoples of Europe. Even such recognized masters of gestures as Italians and Turks pale in comparison. The faces, arms and even the shoulders of the Hellenes are in a tireless movement during a conversation, focusing on which a stranger can grasp the essence of the conversation, being 30 meters away from the interlocutors. True, to the absolute majority of Russians, these gestures will seem illogical, since almost all of them have nothing to do with the gestures we are used to. For example, in order to say “no,” the Greeks do not turn their heads to the left and to the right, as immigrants from Eastern Europe would do, but throw them back slightly, slightly covering their eyes and clicking their tongue.

To call the interlocutor, they do not bend the fingers of the hand with a slightly outstretched palm upward in the Slavic manner, but, on the contrary, scratch the air with their open palm downward.

If a Greek wants to speak, he will demonstrate this to the interlocutor by resting his index finger to his lips.

A Russian would translate such a gesture as a request to shut up.

The question “What do you mean?” Expressed by the Greek with the help of a gesture will also be incomprehensible to us. In this case, he will raise his eyebrows and turn his head to the right and to the left several times, as we would have done by saying “no”. As you can see, the difference between ours and Greek gestures is quite significant. True, there are pleasant exceptions. These include the “yes” gesture - a slow shaking of the head from top to bottom and the “thank you” gesture - the hand is placed on the heart, and the movements of the head repeat the “yes” gesture.