Greece Local Customs

  Loggos harbour front
by Tracyden
 
  • Loggos harbour front
      Loggos harbour front
    by Tracyden
  •   Local Customs
    by Robin020
  • Me having a sip
      Me having a sip
    by mickeyboy07
  • down in one?
      down in one?
    by mickeyboy07
  • Local Band
      Local Band
    by mickeyboy07
 

Most Viewed Local Customs in Greece

126.

People   Crete Island

People, Crete Island

 15 Reviews  The evil eye is big in Crete, where I lived for four years, and possibly elsewhere in Greece. If you go into someone's home, don't look too enviously at their things and don't pass too many... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

127.

Byzantine Churches   Thessaloniki

Byzantine Churches, Thessaloniki

 2 Reviews  As Thessaloniki and nothern Greece in general became part of the modern Greek state just 92 years ago, its people have special ties to the Greek institutions that have been alive for over 1000 years -... 

 See All 21 Local Customs in Thessaloniki

128.

Food and Drink   Crete Island

Food and Drink, Crete Island

 14 Reviews  This tip is not about any one particular restaurant but a comment on our experience of several restaurants in the eastern end of Crete ( all in the Prefecture of Lasithi). All of these eating places... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

129.

Statues   Thessaloniki

Statues, Thessaloniki

 2 Reviews  it's a miracle and a well kept secret among tourists, i.e. all tourists know about it, but the locals do not:) So, if you have a little wish... or a big one, you should touch the toe of Aristotelis... 

 See All 21 Local Customs in Thessaloniki

130.

Religion   Crete Island

Religion, Crete Island

 5 Reviews  Crete became part of modern day Greece less than a hundred years ago, maintaining to a degree its cultural variety. There used to be a sizeable Muslim but Greek speaking minority in the island, now... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

131.

Strikes   Thessaloniki

Strikes, Thessaloniki

 1 Review  Strikes are popular in all of the greece, strikes of bus drivers (good for you if you are a student there, the schools are closed), of rug-collectors and of unic=versity secretaries, of post offices,... 

 See All 21 Local Customs in Thessaloniki

132.

Strange Things   Crete Island

Strange Things, Crete Island

 4 Reviews  The story goes that the iron bars sticking out from the roof of many Greek houses are exemptions from taxpaying, as long as the house isn't yet finished but in fact they are exclusively there for the... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

133.

X-MAS in Thessaloniki   Thessaloniki

X-MAS in Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki

 2 Reviews  Christmas is a great time to visit Thessaloniki. Although there aren't so magical as in Germany or Austria, you will often see the town full of snow. The town is very beautifully decorated. There is... 

 See All 21 Local Customs in Thessaloniki

134.

Little Shrines on the Road   Crete Island

Little Shrines on the Road, Crete Island

 3 Reviews  The miniature churches or shrines next to the roads are memorials for people killed in a car accident, at the same spot where the accident happened. The family of the deceased construct and maintain... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

135.

Fairs & Festivals   Thessaloniki

Fairs & Festivals, Thessaloniki

 1 Review  Interational Film Festival of Thessaloniki. It's a must everyday, for as many films as you can handle each day and lasts for one week. Everybody you met the previous day will be there. Meaning every... 

 See All 21 Local Customs in Thessaloniki

136.

Music   Crete Island

Music, Crete Island

 2 Reviews  Lyra, Cretan traditional musical instrument. The one of the photo is totally a hand made one by Giorgos Tzagarakis; one of the best Lyra's artisan of Greece. Kissou Kampos Village. Prefecture of... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

137.

Flora and Fauna   Crete Island

Flora and Fauna, Crete Island

 3 Reviews  Platanos or Plane Tree, a tree that grows close to water. You can find it usually close to a river in gorges or in the central square of villages of Crete. It looks similar to the maple tree and it... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

138.

Raki (tsikoudia)   Crete Island

Raki (tsikoudia), Crete Island

 3 Reviews  This is the famous local drink of Crete. It is produced in late October or early November and it is distilled from grape skins. It is transparent, very strong and in the summer it is served cold. Raki... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

139.

Traditional Products   Crete Island

Traditional Products, Crete Island

 2 Reviews  A major draw to the Lasithi for the many buses of day trippers is to see the 'thousands of whiteclothed-sailed windmills' which irrigate the high plain ringed by mnountains. But there are apparently... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

140.

Children   Crete Island

Children, Crete Island

 1 Review  The Greek people love children, if you travel there with children, especially an angelic looking one who`s parents gave her a Greek name, little old ladies will stop you in the street to admire, kiss... 

 See All 70 Local Customs in Crete Island

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Greek food

by magor65

Do you eat to live or live to eat? Although I rather belong to the first category, in Greece I definitely shifted to the other. Greek food - so unsophisticated but unique, and simply delicious. And it is true that it tastes best on the spot; when you come back home, equipped with Greek olive oil, feta cheese and herbs and you make Greek salad f.e., you will be surprised to find out that, though delicious, it lacks something.Here are some dishes that I especially liked:- moussaka - eggplant casserole with beshamel sauce,- souvlaki - pieces of meat and vegetables grilled on a skewer,- dolmades (appetizer rather than a dish) - grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, sometimes also with meat and vegetables,- tzatziki - yoghurt with cucumber and garlic, used as a dip. It tastes fantastic with meat, vegetables or just bread,- and above all Greek salad / Horiatiki. There are many variations but its...

Tip Photo
Christmas and New Year's in Greece?

by travelthrough

Ever wondered what Christmas in Greece is like?In comparison to western countries, it is no big deal. On many islands, and in most parts of Greece, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are hardly celebrated with gifts and gift-giving, instead, I have been told, they do that on New Year's Eve and Day!In Athens and other tourist areas, you find Christmas trees. More traditional, however, isthe ship, the "varka" in which Santa Claus (who, in Greek, is Agios Vasilis, an orthodoxSaint) brings the gifts across the sea. That explains the beautifully decorated woodenvessels you may see in houses and villages on display!New Year's is beautiful in Greece, don't miss it. The evenings are celebrated with splendidfireworks, mainly you spend New Year's with friends. On New Year's day, you can walkthrough any street and hear locals call to you "Xronia polla" (Many years or Happy NewYear), and you should...

Komboloi - the no-worry beads of Greece

by magor65

When you visit Greece you are bound to notice that some elderly gentlemen hold in their hands strings of beads which they skilfully shift between their fingers. The beads are called komboloi. It's hard to find one theory about their origin. There are several hypotheses:- they are derived from the knotted prayer strands used by Greek orthodox monks,- they were adopted by Greeks to mock the prayer bead-strands used by Turks,- they are just a recent addition to greek culture, not older than 80 years.And what are the reasons for using them? The first reply is that they are to help you calm down and relax - the massage to fingers has a soothing effect on your nervous system. They can also help you cut down on smoking or prevent you from eating too much. And they can of course be a great souvenir or a piece of jewellery. It is surprising that they are mostly used by men. Does it mean that...

Tip Photo
Retsina - Greek wine made for 3000 years

by magor65

Retsina is adored by some for its unique taste but doomed to non-existence by others who cross it out from connoisseur menus.What makes retsina something special is its unique flavour of resin. Ancient Greeks knew that air was the enemy of wine and decided to use pine resin to seal wine vessels, particularly amphora, not to let the air in. The resin gave wine its special aroma, so even with the invention of impermeable glass bottles, adding some resin to the wine wasn't stopped.Retsina should be served chilled to the temperature of 10 degrees C. It goes well with majority of Greek dishes and salads.

Tip Photo
Metaxa - the taste of Greece

by magor65

Metaxa is made from three different varieties of Greek grapes. The distillate matures in oak barrels for 3 to 30 years. Finally it is mixed with muscat wine and the essence of herbs and rose petals is added. Although the history of metaxa reaches back to ancient times, the brand has been known since 1888. It is when Spyros Metaxa founded the first distillery and created the recipe for this beverage. While constructing this first distillery, workers found a coin with a figure of a warrior from Salamine. It was to become a symbol of metaxa recognised all over the world.Metaxa can be served in drinks, mixed with orange / grapefruit juice or tonic and ice. Connoisseurs claim though, that it tastes best in its pure form. But whatever you choose, you are invited to join those who call metaxa ' the joy of life closed in a bottle'.

Tip Photo
Olive - the treasure of Greece

by magor65

The home land of olive tree is Greece. According to a myth goddess Athena was competing with Poseidon for favour of Athenians. The god gave them salty water, whereas the goddess offered them an olive tree and naturally won the competition. For ancient Greeks an olive tree was a symbol of prosperity and fertility, because it can bear fruit for several hundred years. Brides used to put on their heads wreaths made of olive leaves. Olive twigs were put to graves and hung on the doors of mourners' houses to bring consolation and chase away bad spirits. Olive oil was rubbed into the skin of athlets before sporting events. Solon, one of the seven sages of Greece, ordered to plant olive trees wherever it was possible and introduced death penalty for cutting down even one tree. Homer used the words 'liquid gold' to describe olive oil. This name still holds water today. Olive oil is the best...

Tip Photo
It's A Man's Life.....

by nickandchris

Whilst we were in Paralio Astros this year, we paid a visit to the small, inland village of Kato Doliano. We parked on the main road and walked up the main "shopping" road, looking for somewhere to have a drink. We soon found our goal, a cafeneon where all the men were sitting in the shade, nodding off quietly. We joined them and were made to feel most welcome as the men moved our chairs into the shade for us. Soon, most of the village's males appeared gradually, having just awoken from siesta, coming to view the tourists!The second time we stopped here, we gave them all a laugh by picking up the table to move it and the table top came away from the rest of it!!! We could imagine them chuckling over that for years; those tourists........The cheapest place we had a drink at for a long while.

Tip Photo
Komboloi

by travelthrough

You may often see that Greek people (especially men, but sometimes women as well) play with beads that resemble a rosary. Indeed, the origins of the "komboloi" are rosaries whichmonks used until they were used by the common people as well. Nowadays, however, Greeks don't use them to pray, but to play around and to "reduce stress", as they say. There are different "kombolois", some are made of wood, othersof plastic, others of amber and stones.

Tip Photo
Clean Monday - The Beginning of Lent & Fasting

by janetanne

We should all learn to PLAY more and LIVE longer.Kite Flying Tradition - Clean Monday - Lent BeginsEvery year in Athens on Clean Monday, (Kathara Deuftera) children and adults alike, can be seen on every high hill and valley, flying their kites! The most famouse of these places for kite flying, is on the hill to the South of the Acropolis, Phillopopou Hill, but kites can be seen literally everywhere in Greece on "Kathari Deftera!"Besides flying kites on this day, Greeks throughout the country, eat special foods that begin the traditional 40 days of fasting before Easter.If you like cooking or are just missing those great, healthy Greek Foods you tasted when you visited Greece, have a look at my latest pages withGREEK RECIPES FOR LENT!!*GREEK RECIPES FOR LENT!!*

Tip Photo
GREEK BREAD - A SACRED CULTURAL TRADITION

by janetanne

"GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,"At the time when Jesus walked among us, bread was an important staple in the diet of ordinary people. By virtue of paying taxes, each Roman citizen was entitled to a daily ration of bread. As a result it was regulated. The Romans had stringent laws about the size and weight of loaves of bread that were sold. The consequences for shortchanging the purchaser were dire. Sealing each loaf with the imprint of the baker kept the bakers honest, and guaranteed that the Roman government got exactly the amount of bread paid for to feed the Roman troops. Bread was not the only item sealed. Dealers of olive oil and wine used clay seals to identify their products. Bread and the Greek Orthodox LiturgyProsphora is a Greek word meaning "offering." In one sense, all that we offer for the use of the Church is prosphora: wine, incense, charcoal, oil (for oil lamps),...

Tip Photo

Top 3 Hotels in Greece

Grand Bretagne Hotel Athens  Athens

 17 Reviews and 637 Opinions  Every visitor to Athens cannot fail to notice this huge hotel. It's right on Syntagma Square,... 

 Hotels in Athens

Astra Apartments & Suites  Santorini Island

 1 Review and 404 Opinions  My husband and I finished off our honeymoon at the Astra Apartments, an all-suite hotel. The website... 

 Hotels in Santorini Island

Marni Village  Crete Island

 1 Review and 219 Opinions  Stayed in October 2006, and really have no complaints about the accomodation,Very friendly and... 

 See all 128 Hotels in Crete Island

Questions and Answers

pritj profile photo

Q:  Hi! Last holiday I had to give up on Greece but this year I ve decided to visit there. I am planning to go on mid-October , but I... 

ranger49 profile photo

A: I have been to Athens during the winter months and it can sometimes be quite pleasant weatherwise but colder in the evenings even in October.. It is a capital city... 

Read 5 Replies

postQuestion_button