Brief History

Greeks call themselves Hellenes, and Greece Hellas; our term "Greece" derives
from their Roman conquerors. From the eighth century BC, colonisation had
taken Greek-speakers all over the Mediterranean, from the Black Sea, Turkey, to
North Africa, Italy France and Spain, like "frogs around a pond" (Plato).

By the fifth century BC Classical Greeks had organised themselves into

independent citizen states (known as polis, from which comes our word
"political") such as Athens, Sparta, Ephesus, Byzantion and Marseilles.
Each polis had its own laws, dialect, currency and government. Strongly
independent, they fought among themselves for domination, and internally over
different styles of constitution (eg, tyranny, democracy, oligarchy). In the fourth
century BC, Macedon in the north, under its king Philip II and his son Alexander
the Great, took brief control, but on the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the
mainland split into a series of leagues under Macedonian governors. Radical,
direct democracy died at that moment, never to be restored.

The land-mass of Hellas became part of the Roman empire in the second century
BC, and Greek poleis in Turkey and elsewhere followed. The leagues
and poleis continued to run themselves, but were now under close Roman
supervision. Roman expansion east was made easier by the conquests of
Alexander the Great, who introduced Greek polis style culture, administration
and urban living, as far as Afghanistan.

The Greek language, however, spread throughout the Mediterranean. Greek was
heard in Rome probably more often than Latin. The gospel writers and St Paul
knew perfectly well that they would have to write in Greek if they wanted their
message to spread. Romans lapped up Greek culture – literature, history,
philosophy and architecture – and by making Greek a central feature of their
education system ensured that Greek achievement would be handed on to us
today.

By the fourth century AD it was clear that the Roman empire was becoming too
large to be centrally controlled. In 324 the Roman emperor Constantine in effect
split the empire into two halves, the eastern half centred on Greek Byzantium,
renamed Constantinople (now Istanbul). When the Western Roman empire
collapsed under the impact of Germanic invasions in the fifth century,
Constantinople became the new centre of the Roman empire, known as the
Byzantine empire.

The collapse of the western empire led to some turmoil in the east, but the
Byzantines gradually regained control over Greece until the treacherous attack
on Constantinople in 1204 by the Frankish crusaders (western Europeans). The
Franks split up Greece, but fighting among themselves and against Serbs,
Albanians and Turks left them fatally weakened. On 29 May 1453 Constantinople
fell to the Ottoman branch of the Turkish invaders, who had been mopping up
the remaining territories of the old Byzantine empire, and for nearly 400 years
Greece was under Ottoman control.

By the 19th century, the empire was economically on its last legs, and on 25
March 1821, Greece declared its independence. When France, Britain and Russia
threatened to intervene against the Turks, the Turks capitulated. Greece used
various means to extend its territory into the Ionian islands, Thessaly, Macedon,
Crete and the Aegean – a disastrous advance into Turkey (1919-22) failed – and it
reached its present configuration in 1947.

German occupation of Greece in the second world war ended in 1944, but a
violent and complicated civil war at once broke out between (broadly)
communists and western-backed government forces (1944-49), resulting in a
Greek government inclined to the west, but with significant anti-western
sentiment still in force.

In 1967 a military junta ("the colonels") overthrew the government and ended the
monarchy. In 1974, the regime imploded, and since 1975 Greece has been a
democratic republic. It joined the EU in 1981 and adopted the euro in 2001.
Tensions with Turkey remain.
Culture

Contemporary Greek culture and traditions are very rich and diverse, reflecting
Greece’s location at the crossing point where the West meets the East and the
country’s great and turbulent history.

The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years - dating from the
Paleolithic era and the birth of the great Minoan, (2600-1500 BC), Mycenaean
(1500-1150 BC) and Cycladic civilizations through the Classical Period (6th - 4th
centuries BC) - the Golden Age, reaching great levels of prosperity that resulted
in an unprecedented cultural boom, expressed in architecture, drama, science
and philosophy, and nurtured in Athens under a democratic environment,
through the sequence of invasions and domination: by the Macedonians, the
Romans, the Byzantine Empire and the 400 years of Ottoman rule.

During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century,
Greece saw monarchies and ousting of royalty, fierce political fights,
assassinations, and dictatorships, wars that added neighboring territories and
new population, but also brought economic devastation and poverty. After the
defeat of Germany and the end of World War II, Greece joined NATO in 1952 and
experienced a bitter civil war between communist and anticommunist forces.

In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military

dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee
the country. In 1974, democratic elections and a referendum created a
parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In August 1974 Greek forces
withdrew from the integrated military structure of NATO in protest against the
Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. Greece rejoined NATO in 1980. In 1981,
Greece joined the EC (now the EU) and became the 12th member of the
Eurozone in 2001. It successfully hosted the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

This rich and tumultuous past greatly influences contemporary lifestyle, the
Greek perspective on the world, Greek music, food, customs and traditions, even
the way Greeks do business. Greeks as a whole are extremely proud of their
history, their cultural heritage and their contribution to literature, art, philosophy
and politics. They speak with intense passion of their country as the cradle of
European civilization.
A recent study found that Greeks' pride in being Greek surpassed the ethnic
satisfaction of every other European nation. Greeks define their natural and
ethnic belonging through their culture and tradition. Anyone who has seen the
movie “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding” knows this. Traditions, religion, music,
language, food and drinks are the pillars of contemporary Greek culture and
lifestyle, making the country an attraction point for visitors from all over the
world.

The Greek Orthodox Church

The Greek Orthodox Church is an integral part of life in Greece where the most
important holidays are religious in nature and the national religion is practiced by
the majority of the population. Greece and Orthodoxy are closely connected due
to the country’s historical past. During several occupations, and especially during
the 400 years of Ottoman rule, the Orthodox religion played a vital role in
maintaining the Greek ethnic and cultural identity. Today the Church is more
important in political, civic, and governmental affairs than in many other secular
countries.

Officially, and like all over Europe, the Greek State and the Orthodox Church are
separated, but this separation is not written or regulated by the Constitution and
the Greek Orthodox Church has a great influence in Greek society. Religion is
present in the education sector, both in private and public schools, where
children have compulsory religious courses and pray collectively in the morning
before the start of classes. The Orthodox Church is also much integrated into the
politic matters of the country.

Even the Greek Constitution guarantees freedom of faith, but defines the
"prevailing religion" of Greece as the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ. Most
Greeks, whether deeply religious or not, revere and respect the Orthodox
Christian faith, attend church, observe major religious holiday and are
emotionally attached to Orthodox Christianity as their "national" religion.

Younger people are not as devout church-goers as their parents and

grandparents, yet most will still turn to the church for holidays or for important
rituals such as weddings and funerals. Despite the fast moving processes of
Europeanization and globalization, Greece remains a profoundly religious
country. As the Greek say, Orthodoxy is less an institution than a sentiment,
expressed by the population and by the public powers. Muslims, Jewish and
Roman Catholic are the other religious groups of Greece.

The Greek Family

The Greek society consists of close-knit families where important social

organizations have gradually evolved from the idea of family. The institution of
marriage also plays an important role in society. The word family in Greece refers
to a particular social group whose members are related by blood or marriage at
different levels or in different forms or combinations.

The conjugal family includes the husband and wife and their children. The
extended family includes the conjugal family as well as ascendants of the
husband and/or wife. Interestingly, the National Statistical Service of Greece
considers all people who live under the same roof to be members of the family,
regardless of whether they are related.

Although family life has changed considerably with the transition from the
traditional rural-agricultural life into an urban industrial-modern system, to these
days women and particularly mothers in Greece play the most important family
roles.

The man is the family's outside representative, enjoying the social prestige and
esteem, but the woman traditionally was and is the organizer of the household,
the mediator in family disputes, and the guardian of the family's unity. The
family's prestige often rests on the woman's ability to carry out her household
duties properly.

Frequent communication and assistance between the two adult generations and
children and youth are also very common for Greek families. The family offers
both financial and emotional support to its members and family relationships
carry over into business with nepotism largely seen as something acceptable. It is
very common for relatives to work for the same company because Greeks prefer
to do business with those they know and trust. Companies are also hierarchical
over the traditional respect for age and position.

Greek Food and Drinks

Greek food and beverages are famous all over the world for both quality and
taste. Greek cuisine is often cited as an example of the healthy Mediterranean
diet while sharing food and drinks with relatives and friends is one of the basic
elements of the Greek culture. Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients,
among them garlic, onions, fennel, zucchini, grapes, apples, dates and figs, into a
variety of local dishes some of which can be traced back to Ancient Greece.

Seasonings and herbs like dill, mint, oregano and lemon rinds also form an
important part of the recipes while olive oil is added to almost every dish. Wheat,
rice and meat, traditionally lamb, but also chicken, pork, beef and fish, form the
staple diet.

The mezedes (single: mezes) are appetizers, served before or with the main
dishes. They come in small plates with various dips such as tzatziki (Greek yogurt
with finely chopped cucumber, garlic and olive oil). Mezedez often consist of
htapodi (small pieces of octopus served grilled, boiled or fried with lemon juice,
olive oil, vinegar and oregano), dolmades or dolmadakia (grape leaves filled with
rice, onions and sometimes ground beef, currants and pine kernel), kalamarakia
(small pieces of fried squid with lemon juice), tiropitakia (small cheese pies,
usually made of feta cheese) and spanakopitakia (small spinach pies with crushed
feta cheese), small fish, feta cheese and other cheeses such as the saganaki or
fried cheese, various olives.

Salads include horiatiki (Village Salad), the most famous Greek salad - a mix of
fresh tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onions, green pepper, feta cheese, olive oil and
oregano; melitzanosalata - an eggplant puree with finely chopped garlic and olive
oil; taramosalata - crushed fish eggs.

Greeks have a lot of excellent main dishes such as moussaka, which has a base
made of potatoes topped with eggplants, onions, ground beef and béchamel
crème; pastitsio - spaghetti topped with ground beef, onions, tomato sauce and
béchamel sauce; paidakia - grilled lamb's ribs served with lemon; kokoretsi -
wrapped and roasted entrails of lamb, served with lemon; keftedakia - fried
meatballs of beef, garlic and bread. Meat is often served with horta - boiled wild
greens with olive oil, salt and lemon and briam - mix of roast potatoes, eggplants,
onions, garlic, tomato sauce and olive oil.
Succulent Greek soups include kotossoupa - chicken soup usually with
avgolemono (sauce made with eggs and lemon); psarossoupa - fish soup with
parsley, potatoes and carrots’ fassolada - white bean soup with parsley and,
sometimes, tomato sauce; fakies - lentil soup; magiritsa - Easter soup made of
lamb entrails, and the avgolemono sauce; patsa - tripe soup, considered by the
Greeks as a very good remedy for hangovers.

Greece is also famous for its alcoholic drinks. Liquor includes ouzo and tsipouro
with ouzo being the most famous Greek alcoholic beverage, considered the trade
mark of the country. It is mixed with ice or with a bit of water and is ideal to drink
with all kinds of mezedes. Tsipouro is similar to ouzo but with a stronger taste of
anis. In different parts of Greece people make their own home made tsipouro,
also called raki, depending of the region.

Among the many quality Greek wines, offering a huge diversity of red, white and
rose, sweet or dry, the best known are mavrodafni - a strong, sweet, really thick
and dark wine, made in Patras Peloponnese and used for the Holy Communion in
the Greek Orthodox Church and the world famous retsina, whose particular
resin taste is due to the way the wine is made - putting the grapes in new cask
which still has the wood resin on.

Celebrations, Customs and Traditions

Most customs and traditions in Greece and the Greek Islands are of a religious
nature, but some stem from paganism.

Easter

Easter is by far the most important celebration for the Greeks, even Christmas
comes second. The celebrations for Easter truly begin two months before, but
Holy Week is the peak of these activities.

According to the Orthodox tradition, the symbolic red Easter eggs are dyed on
Holy Thursday. Greeks believe that the Virgin Mother, Mary, dyed eggs this color
(the color of blood) to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and life. On Holy
Thursday women are also busy baking kouloúria - dough cookies and tsouréki –
the traditional Easter sweet bread. Godparents buy news shoes, clothes and a
candle to the kids and, in villages, the exterior of the houses and the streets are
whitewashed.
On Good Friday or Great Friday, flags at homes and government buildings are set
at half mast to mark the sorrowful day. The Procession of the Epitáphios of
Christ, the Epitaphio mourns the death of Christ on the Cross with the symbolic
coffin, decorated with thousands of flowers, taken out of the church and carried
through the streets by the faithful. At the cemetery everyone lights a candle for
the dead; then the Epitaphio with its procession returns to the church where the
believers kiss the image of the Christ.

During the night of the Holy Saturday (Megalo Savato), people, dressed in their
formal attire, begin to gather in the churches by 11 p.m. for the Easter services,
carrying large white candles, lampáda. Just before midnight, all of the churches’
lights are turned off, symbolizing the darkness and the silence of the tomb.

At midnight, the priest lights a candle from the Eternal Flame, sings “Christos
Anesti” (Christ Arose) and offers the flame to light the candle to the people that
are the closest to him. Everyone passes the flame one to another while the clergy
sings the Byzantine Chant Christos Anesti. Then, everyone goes out of the church
to the streets. The church’s bells ring continuously and people say one to another
“Christos Anesti”, to which the reply is “Alithos Anesti” (Indeed He Has Risen).

Then the faithful go home or to the homes of relatives and friends to share the
Resurrection Meal. The candles they carry are placed in each house and burn
through the night to symbolize the Light’s return to the world. The cracking of
eggs is a traditional game where challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs.
The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking from the Tomb.
The person whose egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the
year.

The following day, Easter Sunday, is spent again with family and friends. The
Easter meal is truly a feast with loads of salads, vegetable and rice dishes, breads,
cakes, cookies, and plenty of wines and ouzo.

The main dish at the Easter table, however, is roasted lamb, (often turned over
open pits), and served in honor of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and rose
again on Easter.

Clean Monday (Kathari Deutera) is part of the Easter celebration and marks the
first day of the season of Lent (Saracosti) during which families go for a picnic, fly
kites, and feast at local taverns. For Greeks, Clean Monday is one of the most
festive holidays of the year.

Name Day Celebration

Most of the Greeks owe their names to a religious saint and in Greece name days
are more important than birthdays. Everyone named after a saint honored by the
church celebrates his name on a given day of the year. When someone has a
“name day” his friends and family visit him without invitation and offer good
wishes and small presents. The host greets the guests with pastries, sweets and
appetizers.

Engagement

Engagements is a Greek tradition that tends to disappear in Athens and other big
cities, but remains customary for smaller towns and villages. Before a couple gets
married they must become engaged and the man has to ask the hand of the
woman from her father.

When all wedding details are agreed on and ironed, the priest is invited to bless
the engagement rings and place them on the left ring-fingers of the couple. The
guests wish “Kala Stephana” (Good Crowns meaning “Have a Good Marriage”)
and “I ora I kali” (that the good hour of the marriage comes) to the fiancés.

Marriage

Marriage is another big celebration in Greece. In some parts, outside Athens and
other big cities, the bride still has a dowry made by her mother, grandmothers
and aunts, consisting of sheets, towels and hand made embroideries, while the
father of the bride traditionally offers a furnished home to his daughter and son-
in-law as a wedding gift. On the day of the wedding, the bride gets dressed with
the help of girlfriends and women from her family, and is kept hidden, for it is bad
luck for the groom to see her before the ceremony.

During the wedding ceremony, the best men and best woman (koumbaro and
koumbara) give the wedding rings to the priest, cross the crowns (stephana)
three times and then place them on the couple’s head. Once the priest has
declared them married, the guests throw rice and almond candy wrapped with
white sugar (ta koufeta) to the new couple.
After the ceremony, the bridal couple stays in the church and all the guests kiss
them and wish them “na zisete” (Long Life to You). Then everybody goes to the
wedding reception, which is usually a restaurant rented for the night, where
people dance, eat and drink all night long.

After the reception the new couple leaves for its honeymoon.

Baptism

Baptismal day is one of the most important days in the life of a Greek Orthodox.
It usually takes place the first year after the baby is born. Until the baby is
baptized it is often called baby and doesn’t have a name.

On Baptism Day, the baby is undressed and wrapped in a white towel. The priest
blesses the water and adds olive oil brought by the godparents. He then
immerses the baby three times, saying the chosen name. (Children in Greece are
traditionally named after their grandmother or the grandfather.) The priest also
blesses the baby and the baby clothes with “myrrh” (olive oil blessed by the
Patriarch). The child is then dressed in white clothes. The priest puts a gold chain
with a cross on his or her neck and gives the baby its first Holy Communion.

At the end of the ceremony, the parents kiss the godparent’s hands and receive
guests’ wishes: “na sas zisei” (Long Life to Your Baby).

The ceremony is followed by a celebration at the family’s house or a restaurant.

Carnival

Another big Greek celebration is “Apokries” or Carnival. The Carnival is two

weeks long, beginning from the Sunday of Meat Fare and ending with the start of
Lent, (Clean Monday). People wear carnival costumes and party in the streets
and bars, throwing colored confetti to each other. The most famous Carnival
parade takes place in the city of Patra. It is believed that this custom has pagan
roots, and originates from the old festivities worshiping Dionysus, the God of
Wine.

Greek Independence Day

The Greek Independence Day celebrates Greece's liberation from the Ottoman
domination on March 25, 1821.

October 28: The "NO"

On October 28, the Greeks celebrate the day when Metaxas (a Greek General,
appointed Prime Minister of Greece between April-August 1936 and dictator
during the 4th of August Regime, from 1936 until his death in 1941), said no to
the Italians who wanted to invade the country. It is the celebration of the heroic
OXI (NO) many Greeks put a Greek flag on their windows while marches with
students wearing a blue and white uniform and holding Greek flags are organized
by schools.

Superstitions

In addition to being deeply religious, Greeks are very superstitious people and
believe in the supernatural or the paranormal, but superstitions vary from region
to region.

Bread

In Greece, especially in villages, bread is considered a gift of God. Because of that

women bless the bread and make the sign of the cross with a knife before slicing
it.

Evil Eye

Some Greeks believe that someone can catch the evil eye, or “matiasma”, from
jealous or envious people. Those, who have caught the evil eye, usually feel bad
physically and mentally. To avoid the matiasma one must wear a charm: a little
blue marble glass with an eye painted on it or a blue bracelet. Blue is believed to
be the color that protects against the evil eye but it is also believed that people
with blue eyes can give matiasma. Garlic is another way to guard against the evil
eye, and people often hang it in their houses.

Knives
Greeks never hand a knife to someone because they believe it will bring a fight
with the person. Therefore they set it down on the table and let the other person
take it.

Priests

Orthodox priests are revered and in villages the custom is to kiss their hand in
respect when meeting them. But it is believed that seeing a black cat and a priest
during the same day is bad luck.

Spitting

Some Greeks believe that spitting chases the devil away. That is why when
someone talks about bad news (deaths, accidents, etc…) or compliments babies,
children and even adults, the others slightly spit three times saying “ftou, ftou,
ftou”.

Tuesday the 13th

Unlike the Western belief, in Greece the unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th and not
Friday the 13th. Tuesday is considered to be the unluckiest day of the week
because on Tuesday, May 29th, 1453 the city of Constantinople was besieged and
taken by the Ottoman Turks. Greeks also consider the number 13 to be good luck
and the main theory is the belief that having 12 apostles of Christ made Christ the
13th of the group. However, the combination of Tuesday and 13 as Tuesday the
13th of the month is considered a very unlucky day in Greek culture.

"Piase kokkino" (Touch Red)

Greeks believe that saying the same thing at the same time is an omen and the
two people will get into a fight or an argument. Because of this, when people say
the same thing together they must immediately follow by telling one another
"piase kokkino" and both have to touch any red item they can find around them.

Greek Music

The word music itself comes from the Greek word musiki, meaning all the arts of
the nine Muses. Greek music extends far back into Ancient times where it played
an important role in the education system and boys were taught music from the
age of six. Music in Ancient Greece included mixed-gender choruses performing
for entertainment, celebration and spiritual reasons, and instruments such as the
double-reed aulos, the plucked string instrument, the lyre, especially the special
kind called a kithara.

Music was later influenced by the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire.
While the new technique of polyphony was developing in the West, the Eastern
Orthodox Church resisted any type of change and Byzantine music remained
monophonic and without any form of instrumental accompaniment, but in the
same time this enabled the monophonic Byzantine chant to develop to the
greatest heights of perfection.

Along with this chant, Greek people developed the Greek folk song which is
divided into two cycles, the akritic and klephtic. The akritic was created between
the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. and expressed the life and struggles of the akrites
(frontier guards) of the Byzantine Empire. The klephtic cycle was born between
the late Byzantine period and the start of the Greek War of Independence in
1821.

The events and social changes of the 20th century changed the fate of the folk
song in Greece. After World War I and with the increased trend towards urban
living popular musicians began congregating in Athens. The musical tradition,
preserved in villages with little contact with the outside world, changed into a
completely reverse direction today when commercialized folk songs reach
remote villages.

Greece – International Movie Location

With its bright sunlight, beautiful nature, rich history and culture, Greece has
been the favorite set for many movie directors, including Hollywood ones.

Some of the most famous pictures, filmed in Greece include: Boy on a Dolphin,
starring Sophia Loren; Never on Sunday with Melina Merkouri (1960); Guns of
Navarone with Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn (1961); Zorba the Greek with
Anthony Quinn (1964); the James Bond series movie For Your Eyes only, with
Roger Moore as the 007 spy (1981); Summer Lovers (1982); Captain Corelli's
Mandolin, starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz (2001); Lara Croft Tomb
Raider: The Cradle of Life, starring Angelina Joli (2003); Mamma Mia!, the
legendary musical, starring Meryl Streep.
The best-known contemporary Greeks include the film-maker, Kostas Gavras,
the Nobel Prize winner,, Odysseus Elitis and composer, Mikis Theodorakis.

Novinite welcomes any comments, additions, corrections and suggestions about

this article, particularly from our Greek readers.
FACTS

1. GREECE IS OFTEN CONSIDERED TO BE THE WORLD’S FIRST DEMOCRACY

The Athenian Democracy was a system dating back to the fifth century B.C. It
was a system of direct democracy, where citizens with voting-rights voted
directly on legislation and executive bills. However, participation at this point was
not open to all residents.

To vote, you had to be an adult and male citizen. So in other words, foreigners,
women, and slaves had no votes.

2. ONE OF THE SUNNIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

Did you know that the whole country has more than 250 days of sun on average?
That’s more than 3000 sunny hours per year. Some islands even see around 300
days of sun per year!

3. GREEK FOOD IS WORLD FAMOUS AND DELICIOUS

Tzatziki, Feta Cheese, Moussaka, Gyros, Spanakopita, Souvlaki, Greek Salad,

Calamari, Kleftiko and many more dishes are all Greek foods that you should try
when you visit Greece.

4. 98% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION ARE ETHNIC GREEKS

So, almost everyone in Greece is an ethnic Greek, and the rest of the population
are minorities, mainly from Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, and F.Y.R.O.M.

5. THERE ARE MORE THAN 2000 ISLANDS

That’s a lot of islands, but only 170 of them are populated. The other islands are
uninhabited.

6. 40% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF GREECE IS RESIDING IN THE CAPITAL

ATHENS
While tourists mostly think of the islands, most Greeks actually live in the capital
or Thessaloniki. 40% of the total population lives in Athens. Some of them also
work on the islands during summer, but many of them live in Athens.

7. IKARIA IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S BLUE ZONES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE THE
LONGEST LIFESPANS

Do you want to live a long and healthy life? Then you should head to Ikaria and
learn from the best. Ikaria is what the scientists call a “blue zone” where people
have the longest lifespans in the world.

In total there are 5 of them, and Ikaria is one of the 5 Blue Zones worldwide.

8. GRANDPARENTS USUALLY LIVE WITH THEIR CHILDREN’S FAMILY UNTIL

THEY DIE

Children usually stay with their family until they marry, and the grandparents
usually live with their children’s family until they die. There are very few
retirement homes in the country, and generally, you keep the family close.

9. AT TRADITIONAL GREEK WEDDINGS EVERYONE DANCE AND THROW

PLATES

While this is more of a traditional thing, it still occurs, and it’s not only something
you see in the movies like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.

10. THERE ARE MORE TOURISTS IN GREECE THAN GREEKS DURING SUMMER

Did you know that the amount of tourists is more than double the amount of
Greeks during the summer? It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in
the world.

11. GREECE HAS ONE OF THE RICHEST VARIETIES OF WILDLIFE IN EUROPE

Home to 116 species of mammals, 18 species of amphibians, 59 species of

reptiles, 240 species of bird, and species 107 of fish. Among these animals are the
Monk Seal, the Loggerhead Sea turtle and many more.
12. THE MOST SEXUALLY ACTIVE NATION IN THE WORLD

Reports claim that Greeks has sex on average 164 times a year, which make them
the most sexually active nation in the world!

13. GREEK IS THE OLDEST WRITTEN LANGUAGE STILL IN EXISTENCE

The Greek language is unique and has continuously been used for more than
5000 years. This makes it the oldest written language still in existence, at least
when you’re looking at archeological findings.

The Greek Language has also influenced the English language and other
languages with several thousands of words.