Famous Athens, magical myths, legends, majestic gods - we remember all this when it comes to the beautiful and mysterious Greece, the birthplace of ancient civilization. Greek culture dates back tens of hundreds of years 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, and democracy has a huge number of folk customs. Each island of Greece is endowed with its own traditions and rituals.

Ancient customs

The legends and myths of ancient Greece have been told and rewritten for centuries. The ancient Greeks attached great importance to witchcraft and predictions, and prophets and soothsayers enjoyed great fame and respect among local residents. People came to them to interpret dreams, predict the future, or forget the past forever. According to tradition, the ancient Greek oracles attached 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 are lucky enough to be in Greece, do not be surprised by the large number of holidays organized in honor of different gods. Each Greek has his own “saint”, who is regularly approached with requests and “appeased” in every possible way at religious celebrations.

Customs and traditions of modern Greece

Hellas left us beautiful monuments of architecture, literature and theatrical art. Along with them, traditions, rites and rituals have been preserved to this day, which are observed in modern Greece.

Jewelry and clothing

In Macedonia, as in any other country, they treat wedding customs. Decorating the bride, marching through the streets with music and treats, mourning the bride - this is the Greek traditional wedding. In some places you can still see Greek national clothing: stivania, bloomers, dark scarves or multi-colored suits.

Carnival

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

The ancient symbolic ritual of pig slaughter 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, and carols and fortune telling are held everywhere.

Superstitions

The Greeks are very superstitious, despite their religiosity. Modern residents use amulets against damage in the form of a blue bead with a pattern that imitates the iris of the eye or a “cat’s eye” decoration.

Family and greeting

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

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

The Greeks can be called both larks and owls. Residents wake up at 5-6 am and go to bed after 11 pm. But following the established custom, the hours of sleep are more than made up for by the daytime siesta, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Conclusion:

Having visited Greece once, you will leave impressions about it for the rest of your life and 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. 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

A wedding is one of the most important and most exciting events in the life of every person, and, of course, everyone wants the wedding ceremony to be beautiful and memorable for a long time. IN different countries weddings are held in different ways, taking into account the traditions of ancestors and modern trends. In our article we will tell you how most weddings are held in Greece these days.

Urban and rural greek weddings although they differ significantly, in both they strive to embody traditions and observe the necessary rituals. Greeks prepare for a wedding in advance, a year or even two years in advance. Young people at this time go engaged. During this time, the bride and her family manage to prepare a dowry: shirts, dresses, skirts, belts, bed linen, curtains, tablecloths, rugs for the future home, all things are created with their own hands. The dowry also includes jewelry.

The wedding celebration lasts about a week, preparations for the wedding begin on Monday, during the week they send out invitations to guests, bake wedding bread, prepare a dowry and do other pre-wedding chores. There is an interesting custom associated with baking wedding bread. At this time, the groom secretly sends flour to the bride's house, and the bridesmaids sprinkle this flour on the bride and the groom's relatives if they come to the house.

The wedding day is approaching, and on the Friday before, the bride's family hangs the trousseau on clotheslines in front of the house so that everyone can see what a craftswoman the bride is and that the bride's family is wealthy. After this, the dowry is removed from the ropes and put into chests, sprinkling layers of things with almonds, nuts and figs.

The wedding celebration begins on Saturday, even before the wedding. The groom slaughters a young lamb for the feast, and on the same day the dowry is transported to the groom's house.

The wedding takes place on Sunday morning, before which she is dressed in wedding dress and comb it, weaving long golden threads into the hair. The bride's face is covered with a pink veil. If the bride has a brother, then he gets the right to tie a belt with three knots on his sister, after which the bride kisses all the assembled guests and sits in the “bride’s corner” reserved for her and decorated.

According to tradition, the bride must pretend that she does not want to leave her parents’ house and resists in every possible way. But the groom must show his strength and courage and still take his bride away. In addition, he must bribe his relatives and bridesmaids with gifts, only in this case he is allowed into the house. Often at weddings there is such a ritual associated with the bride’s shoes: the white shoes in which the bride leaves her father’s house are brought by the groom’s friend, and the bridesmaids try to steal these shoes. The groom's friend has to pay a ransom for the stolen shoes.

The wedding takes place according to Orthodox custom in church or at home on Sunday morning. This is a very beautiful ceremony, very similar to a wedding in Russian Orthodox Church. Witnesses hold crowns (crowns) over the heads of the bride and groom, the newlyweds hold snow-white lit candles in their hands, the priest reads prayers, the choir on the choir praises the newlyweds, the bride and groom exchange wedding rings. After this, the guests congratulate new family, and when leaving the temple, the newlyweds are sprinkled with rice as a symbol of prosperity.

Some families opt for only administrative registration of marriage, for example, if the bride and groom are of different religions. But such disregard for tradition is still not welcome in Greek society.

There are many things associated with the bride’s entry into the groom’s house. wedding ceremonies. For example, the mother-in-law places bread on the bride’s path, which she must step over. And depending on which foot the bride steps over the bread, conclusions are drawn as to whether the couple’s family life will be happy. Stepping over with your right foot is considered a good sign. Even when the bride and groom enter the house, they often hold gold coins in their mouths so that in their family life they spoke only golden, kind words to each other.

Before the wedding, the bride writes the names of her unmarried bridesmaids on the soles of her shoes. It is believed that the one whose name is erased first will marry next.

It is considered a good sign if, before the first wedding night, children run across the newlyweds’ bed. This means that everything will be fine with the children of the new family. Sometimes babies are placed on the bed specifically. Depending on the gender of the baby who will be placed first on the newlyweds’ bed, a conclusion is drawn as to who will be born first in the new family: a boy or a girl.

After the first wedding night, if everything worked out for the newlyweds, then the guests have the right to eat the delicacies hidden in the chest. The bride takes the dowry out of the chests and jokingly throws things at the groom's relatives, and puts nuts and figs in her apron, then she treats the guests with them. This usually takes place on Sunday evening, with guests singing songs and dancing. If things don’t work out between the bride and groom, then the bride and her dowry are sent back to her parents’ house.

In the old days, weddings were most often held when the bride was already pregnant. There was nothing shameful or shameful about this; on the contrary, it was considered a good sign that the bride was healthy and fertile, and that the groom’s family would definitely continue.

The main celebration takes place on Sunday evening. One of the interesting wedding traditions in Greece is the “money dance”, when guests dance around the newlyweds and attach banknotes to their clothes. During one of the newlyweds' dances, all the unmarried male guests join them; during the dance, the bride drops her handkerchief, and the one who can catch it gets married next.

Another wedding ceremony is carried out during a walk, when the newlyweds and their guests go to a fountain or other source of water. The bride must fill a jug with water from a source and give the guests something to drink. This tradition dates back to ancient times and symbolizes fertility. After this water ritual, guests throw coins into the fountain.

Another custom at Greek weddings is connected with money: you must throw banknotes at the invited musicians.

In Greece, there are some superstitions associated with weddings. For example, you cannot get married in May, much less during Lent. During the year after the wedding, the young wife should not be upset or worried, so she is prohibited from taking part in funerals, wakes and other sad ceremonies. On the clothes of guests, and most importantly friends of the groom and bridesmaids, there is often a symbolic image of an eye. The Greeks believe that this sign protects against the evil eye. Also, in order not to be jinxed, the bride and groom do not tell anyone where they will go on their honeymoon.

At all wedding in Greece- This is a very magnificent, noisy and crowded celebration, where there is a lot of music, songs and dances. is an amazing symbiosis of Orthodox Christian traditions and ancient superstitions and rituals. During wedding celebrations you can most often see a large number of people in national Greek costumes, especially if the wedding takes place in a village. It is in rural areas that the most reverent attitude towards observing traditions is observed. Weddings taking place in Greek cities are more standardized and similar to weddings in other European countries. But still, both in the villages and cities of Greece, the desire to preserve wedding traditions and following them is clearly demonstrated.

Greek saffron – the gold of the Greek land

Saffron is the most expensive herbal spice in the world, which is obtained from the pollen and stigmas of the plant of the same name. According to botanists, it is not found in the wild in nature, because it has been cultivated since the beginning of the cultural history of mankind. The homeland of the plant is Asia Minor, Asia Minor, and India. Sometimes marigold pollen is passed off as a spice called saffron, which also has flavoring and coloring properties, but is much less valued.

Mystras (Mystras), in the past perhaps Mizithra, evolved from a fortress to the capital of Morea, the city where the last Byzantine emperor walked the streets. This city was constantly doomed to destruction, because it was constantly on the line of confrontation between crusader Europe and Byzantium, which would later be replaced by the Ottoman Empire.

Religion and sects in Greece

Greek snacks

If you come to Greece and don't know where to go first, then go to a classic Greek tavern. It is here that you will get acquainted with a variety of Greek cuisine, take a break from your trip and simply be able to observe the behavior of the Greeks in a relaxed atmosphere.

Crisey's grave. Naousa

Crisey's tomb is a two-story tomb, the largest Macedonian burial place in the world to date. The lower part is in Doric style with false galleries. A little imagination and imagine the columns that make up the portico, a typical feature of Macedonian houses that has survived to this day

Funerals and traditions.

In Greece, everyone believes in the power of the evil eye, despite the fact that they will claim the opposite. You will not meet a child who does not wear a turquoise bead as an amulet, sometimes with an eye drawn on it. For the same reason, turquoise beads adorn the necks of horses and donkeys in villages and rearview mirrors in cities. A mixture of traditions and prejudices runs through various aspects of Greek life. For example, a Greek would never dare to praise someone's elegance and beauty, especially children, without spitting three times and knocking on wood. This is done to ward off the envy of the gods when you praise someone.

What, where and how they sell

Greek shops open at very strange hours, which vary from day to day, from summer to winter, and even depending on what they sell. The shops that are always open are kiosks, usually located on the corners of sidewalks and hung with garlands of newspapers and magazines. Inside sits a vendor who sells cigarettes, chocolate, postage stamps, bus tickets and a million and one other items - from ice cream and soft drinks to playing cards, aspirin and condoms - depending on how enterprising the owner is. If the kiosk is located in a busy place and is built into the wall of a house, it is impossible to list everything that can be sold there.

Some stores have interesting combinations of products. For example, pharmacies (farmakeon) sell medicines, cosmetics and orthopedic shoes; bakeries may sell milk, yoghurt and soft drinks. There you can also, at your request (and for your money), fry any dish or bake bread or cookies that you have prepared. They may even lend you huge black baking trays. Wines and other spirits can be sold in any grocery store at any time of the day, since this does not require a special license, as in some countries, with only one exception: on election days you can buy a bottle, but you will have to drink it at home, not in in a public place, unless you persuade the waiter to pour whiskey into your coffee cup.

The first of the Greek wedding rituals is matchmaking. A matchmaker or matchmaker, more often a matchmaker, chosen from among relatives or friends, is usually sent by the groom's parents to the bride's parents, but occasionally - vice versa. Through their mediation, a preliminary agreement is concluded.

The main question in this case is about the nature of the dowry: will it consist only of clothes, utensils and other household items or will it include more serious things (money, real estate, etc.). The nature and size of the dowry play not only an economic role, but also affect the social prestige of the marrying families. Modern social processes provoke a protest against the compulsory dowry, which imposes too heavy obligations on the bride’s family (reliable data are available for the Greek communities of Cyprus). In urban conditions, the main element of the dowry (not counting money or securities) is a house, in a village - a plot of land with olive trees and foreign gardens growing on it, but, as mentioned above, often also a house. Obviously, in these cases, it is the dowry that is the basis of the well-being of a young family and has a significant influence on the choice of a bride. There is also information that among the poor, in order to avoid paying dowries and wedding expenses (as well as in cases of marriage against parental will), like many other peoples, fictitious abduction of the bride with her consent was practiced. As a rule, divorced marriages ended in reconciliation with the parents, but sometimes reconciliation never occurred.

Part of the dowry, which represented the movable and immovable property of the bride’s family, transferred to the groom’s disposal, and household items made by her herself (clothing, etc.), as well as obligatory gifts given by her to guests, had, of course, less economic weight, but related to it psychological aspects were quite important. Even before the age of marriage, the girl (under the supervision and with the assistance of the older women of the family) was constantly busy preparing a dowry and thereby mentally preparing for the upcoming marriage. She had to make it herself (only the material was purchased), and of the highest quality possible, because by the quality of the dowry, those around her judged the bride’s hard work. The girl had to make enough dowry for herself to last her entire life.

Matchmaking in Greece is accompanied by an elaborate ceremony. So, in Northern Greece, upon conclusion of the deal, the matchmaker receives a ring and a richly embroidered scarf from the bride’s parents and takes them to the groom’s house, where he exchanges them for a ring sewn with red silk thread to a black silk scarf, and a gold coin, as well as flowers and sweets for the bride and gifts for the rest of her family. These mutual gifts are called "tokens", and the exchange of them is considered as a word that under no circumstances can be broken. From this time on, the young people become “connected,” if not formally, then in fact. In matchmaking, a wedding date is set, which can take place in two months or in two or three years.

The engagement, or betrothal, can take place several months or a year before the wedding. Her main goal is to sign marriage contract parents of the bride and groom. Participation in the ceremony by a priest means that the future marriage is sanctioned by the church, which at the same time becomes its guarantor. The main part of the celebration takes place in the bride's house (signing of the contract, exchange of wedding rings between the parties, i.e. the actual engagement), but it can end in the groom's house. During the entire cycle of wedding ceremonies, opened by betrothal, there are constant movements of groups of ritual participants (with a strictly fixed composition) between the houses of the groom, bride and best man, as well as the exchange of gifts in different directions. The betrothal celebrations themselves may not be limited to one day, but continue the next day or after some time (for example, a month) in the form of an exchange of visits and gifts. From the moment of engagement, the groom has the right to sometimes visit and see his bride, but cannot be alone with her. During major holidays (Christmas, Easter, Maslenitsa) he sends her different small gifts. In general, various prohibitions are imposed on their communication. If one of them violates the ban, the engagement is considered terminated (despite the general presumption of indissoluble engagement).

The approximate order of engagement is as follows. The groom's parents and his friends, acting as witnesses, come to the bride's house, led by a priest. Hosts and guests exchange wishes. Then everyone sits down, and the matchmaker, getting up after a while, solemnly announces the purpose of the arrival. Then the priest and the parents of both parties approach the iconostasis, and in the presence of “witnesses” the priest asks the parents about the terms of the marriage contract. This is followed by the actual religious part of the ceremony, opening with prayers appropriate to the occasion. The priest takes the rings and hands the bride's ring to the groom's parents and vice versa - “changes the rings.” The bride enters and kisses everyone's hands in turn, receiving one or two gold coins in return - an important procedure called "kissing hands." Next, the bride offers the guests sweets, coffee, wine, brandy, in other words, a treat. She gives each future mother-in-law, father-in-law, and matchmaker a pair of woolen socks. Then everyone goes to the house of the groom, who meets them on the threshold and, in turn, kisses their hands. At the groom's house they are also served refreshments. Meanwhile, bridesmaids come to the bride, congratulate her, dance and sing special songs intended for engagement. Traditionally, the wedding season for Greek peasants falls at the end of October (St. Demetrius's day, i.e. October 26, old style). At this time there is a break in all field work, the availability of leisure is complemented by an abundance of new wine. On the contrary, the most inopportune time, like other peoples who used the Julian calendar, is considered May. A leap year is not suitable for marriage, nor is it suitable to marry during a debilitated moon. Wednesday is considered the most unfavorable day of the week. Thursday is also bad, on which it is generally not recommended to do any serious business. Finally, Monday (i.e., the second day of the week) is not suitable, since, according to the etymological play on words, those who get married on the second day will have to do this a second time. The auspicious day for a wedding is Sunday, but the entire procedure can take up to fifteen days, including the week before and the week after the wedding.

The most important roles in the wedding ceremony are played by the godfather, who acts as the best man, and the godfather. Families are often bound by nepotism over several generations, so the person who plays the role of best man at a wedding may be both the groom's godfather and the future godfather of his children. In the latter case, he may also act as best man at the wedding of his godson, etc. The godfathers not only manage many activities during the preparation for the wedding and its holding, but also incur significant expenses in this regard.

The wedding itself (i.e. the fun) begins on Sunday, a week before the wedding. On this day, the groom sends the bride some gift or comes himself, in one way or another announcing that the wedding will take place in a week. In Northern Greece, the groom usually first sends some henna to the bride, and then comes himself, kisses the hands of his future father-in-law and mother-in-law, after which they move on to business matters. If, according to the preliminary agreement, the bride’s family promised him only money, he receives it at that very moment, and he is given a written guarantee for the real estate. In the evening, the groom has fun in his house with friends, and the bride invites her girlfriends for the same purpose, who will help her throughout the coming week.

Preparations for the wedding begin on Monday. In northern Greece, the bride, with the help of her bridesmaids, dyes her hair with henna received the day before from the groom, during which a special song is sung. This extremely sad song is called, meanwhile, a “song of joy” (i.e., a wedding); such a contradiction is common in wedding rituals.

Tuesday, a ritually unfavorable day, is usually spent in idleness. On Wednesday in northern Greece, it is customary to "lay the dowry", which involves married women from the families of friends and relatives. Most of the dowry is placed in ornately decorated chests, and items intended for gifts are displayed. The main preparations take place on Thursday and Friday: making holiday bread, preparing firewood, transferring the dowry, inviting guests, etc. The composition of the activities varies greatly in different regions of Greece. Common features can be traced only in the symbolic use of the same categories of persons and objects, supposedly endowed with special magical powers. Some tasks are carried out, for example, by girls or children, and the most responsible ones are carried out by a girl or child, both of whose parents are alive; other tasks, on the contrary, are entrusted to married women or old women. Coins, flour, sweets, various types of plants and fruits (nuts, almonds, myrtle, lemons, etc.) are used in different combinations: they are placed in the dough, sprinkled with them on various participants in the ceremony, etc. On these same days, the bride and groom, separately or together, organize parties for their friends and girlfriends. In Northern Greece, the busiest day of the pre-wedding week is Thursday, and in some places serious preparations begin only on this day. In such places, the bride’s hair is dyed with henna a second time. In the evening, relatives gather in the houses of the bride and groom and bake holiday bread. Seven wedding cakes are prepared as follows. Three girls sift flour. The dough is kneaded by a girl, both of whose parents are alive, along with three women from her first marriage. At the same time, children add water to the kneading bowl. In other places, however, the preparation of such bread is entrusted to the groom's own (or, if there is none, cousin) sister. The married women mentioned above put coins in the dough. After the wedding, the girls use these coins to buy buns and honey and eat them with great solemnity. A hook and loop, symbolizing the masculine and feminine principles, a ring or a copper coin can also be placed in the dough. All dough preparation operations are accompanied by ritual songs. When the dough has risen, the groomsman participating in the ceremony sprinkles it with sesame seeds and decorates it with almonds. This cake will be used for communion during a church ceremony. The remaining six, made by other participants in the ceremony, will be distributed among relatives after the service. In some areas, two large round rolls are made, which the bride carries in her arms on the way to the groom's house on her wedding day. She breaks them halfway and throws the pieces into the crowd; these pieces are carefully collected and stored, as they are believed to provide magical assistance to women in labor.

While these loaves of bread are being prepared, the groom secretly sends a boy with a small amount of flour to the bride's house. The bridesmaids lure the bride into a corner and sprinkle her with this flour. The same is done with each of the groom's relatives who come to the bride's house, and vice versa.

In the evening, one of the bridesmaids puts on a man's headdress, thus representing the groom, and dyes the bride's hair with henna, while the other girls sing around them.

At the same time, the groom, accompanied by friends, comes to the best man, kneels before him and, kissing his hand, invites him into his home. That same evening he sends the bride a cake, which she breaks as a sign of final recognition of her husband's power. The day ends with a big feast at the groom's house. In other areas, the listed ritual actions are performed on Friday, and on Thursday it is customary to visit the bathhouse. The bridesmaid calls her bridesmaids, who give her a dance to music, and then accompany her to a public bath, where they all wash together, the expenses being paid by the groom. They then return to the bride's house and dance again. If there is no feast expected in the evening, they leave early. Usually, later, they are joined by the groom’s party, who also visited the bathhouse, and the dancing can continue until the morning.

Friday usually begins with a group of young men going into the forest to get firewood for the upcoming holiday. Their return turns into a solemn ceremony. At the head of the procession is a horse, on the saddle of which is mounted a long pole with a waving flag. A red scarf is tied to the end of the pole, and an apple or orange is placed on it. At the edge of the village, the procession is met by players on drums and pipes, and with this music, as well as the corresponding song, it moves towards the groom's house.

After noon the dowry is transferred. The priest, accompanied by the nobles of the village, comes to the bride and draws up a list of the dowry (“ marriage contract"). The bride and her parents put their signatures or badges on it, and then the dowry is placed in a visible place so that neighbors can see it and envy it. About two hours before sunset, relatives are called to “turn over” the dowry, i.e. They again put it in order among the chests. At the same time, lollipops are thrown into the dowry with wishes for it to become “sweet as sugar.” This ritual is also accompanied by a special song. Finally, one of the old women is appointed to guard the dowry until the next day, when the best man informs her that the dowry can be allowed to be sent to the groom's house.

In the evening, after sunset, both parties extend invitations to their friends. In this case, various objects are used, for example, candles, rolls or pieces of white fabric tied in a knot, which are solemnly carried to the invitees. Bonbonnieres were a sign of invitation from the bride - boxes with small coins, which were then kept by her bridesmaids as a keepsake. This part of the ritual turned out to be so stable that even after the Second World War, brides from among Greek emigrants in Tashkent received from their grandmothers for their wedding, in addition to the wedding dress, 50-100 bonbonnieres. Another type of invitation looks like this: two boys, one of whom carries a lamp, and the other a flask of wine, decorated with flower wreaths and with carnations wrapped in paper, hand one of the flowers to the future guest and say: “Take this carnation, it is from such a That. He invites you to a party (i.e. a wedding).” The invitee drinks from the flask, takes cloves and wishes long life to those entering into marriage.

The Saturday before the wedding is the beginning of the central part of the wedding cycle, which takes three days. On this day in the evening the wedding feast begins with abundant food and drink. But the main event of this day is the transportation of the dowry to the groom's house. Almost everywhere in Greece on this day the ritual of shaving the groom and washing the bride in the bathhouse is performed. The groom must also take part in the slaughter of cattle for festive table. When they slaughter the first animal, the old people observe how and where the blood splashes, and based on this and other signs they draw conclusions about the fate of the future marriage. Evening feasts are usually held separately in the houses of the bride and groom. It should be borne in mind that on this day, as well as on subsequent ones, guests contribute to providing the holiday with food, drink and necessary utensils, since the families of the bride and groom are not able to bear all the necessary expenses. There is evidence that sometimes the organizational part was taken over by persons specially selected from among the guests, whose orders even the groom’s father could not disobey.

In northern Greece, the Saturday before the wedding proceeds approximately as follows. The groom's friends ride on horseback to his house, dismount there, drink with the guests and dance. Two of their number are defiantly galloping around the village on horses destined to carry a dowry. Then they return to the groom's house, and the full cavalcade moves to the bride's house, carrying the groom's gifts to her parents and relatives. After distributing gifts, drinking and dancing, they load the horses with a dowry, and a small boy is placed on each horse. The wedding pillow is carried out by another boy, who, while the procession has not yet moved, runs up to the groom, hands him the pillow and receives a reward for this. When the dowry arrives at the groom's house, it is placed in the courtyard, and the groom's mother throws candy on him from the window. The ritual participants are given food, then they sing and dance around the pile of dowry. Following this, the barber is called, he solemnly shaves the groom, surrounded by friends. A special song is sung. During the day, the groom sends the bride flowers, gold threads, a veil, a fur-lined jacket and a headdress for the wedding ceremony - in a word, complete wedding suit. These gifts are called pledges. In the evening, the groom sends the bride a dinner consisting of three or four courses and a flatbread. Meanwhile, the bride is locked in a room with her bridesmaids, who, hearing that dinner has arrived, shout from inside that they will not let those who come unless they pay off with five piastres and the cake is carried by one of the groom's closest relatives, who pays off the bridesmaids and is allowed into the room. The bride receives the cake, standing in the corner, and breaks it in half on her knee. At this time, the men - the participants of the ceremony - walk in. room, refresh themselves, and the young men accompanying them begin to dance in the courtyard. The bride in a bright silk head scarf, accompanied by her brother or closest male relative, joins the dance. After three rounds of the slow sirtos dance, she leaves, and the guests also leave on their way back. The groom meets him, and they all, together with the orchestra at the head, go to the best man and take him to the groom’s house, where the feast begins. The dancing continues until dawn, when the young people accompany the best man to the house, and then wander through the streets, singing serenades. Similar " family celebration"takes place in the bride's house. In both cases, special persons invite them and treat the invitee with flatbread and wine or rakia. The host and the assembled guests exchange short songs of welcome (the guests sing in chorus). Next, drinking songs are performed. Guests bring their contributions: slaughtered lambs, kitchen utensils, lamps, etc. In some places these contributions are called “sets” - gifts. The presentation of each item is accompanied by wishes signed by the guest, such as, for example: “Let them live, let them grow old (that is, live to old age), may God grant them the wealth of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Contributions are handed over to a special person called a cellarer.

Finally the wedding day arrives. The bride gets up early in the morning and takes part in cleaning the house for the last time. Then she attends to her toilet. Sisters and girlfriends comb and braid her hair. Relatives shower her with silver coins, which the girls pick up and keep for good luck. Then she dresses in Wedding Dress, sent by the groom the day before. The bride's head is decorated with gold threads hanging down to her knees, and her face is covered with a long pink veil. One of the brothers ties a belt around her waist with three knots. Having dressed, the bride kisses the hands of everyone present and, lowering her eyes, walks across the room to the corner that will be her place during the upcoming ceremony. This corner, called the “bride’s corner,” is decorated with an elegant carpet and seasonal green plants (mainly ivy), intended to symbolize youth and freshness. The bridesmaids place a wreath of artificial flowers on the bride's head while singing a song, the lyrics of which contain obvious hints about her behavior during the subsequent ceremony: she should be motionless and silent. The bride in return gifts her bridesmaids with crepe scarves as a sign that they themselves will soon get married.

The groom sends gifts to the bride's parents, sisters and brothers; she also has a full basket of gifts ready for his family members. These mutual gifts can be skirts, belts, aprons, shoes, lace collars and so on.

Dressing and shaving the groom also constitutes a solemn ceremony, in which he is helped by friends, called in the north of Greece by the Slavic word “brother.” They sometimes stay overnight in his house from the previous evening. Having dressed, the groom must stand on the lower millstone of a hand mill, on with which peasants grind oats (in other regions, for the same purpose, a large copper tray may be used). This ritual brings to mind the fact that during the coronation of the Byzantine emperor, the latter stood on the shield and kissed the hands of his parents, and they blessed him.

When the groom is ready for the ceremony, a procession is formed, in which, in addition to him, the priest and the assembled guests participate. Men can ride horses, women often walk. Before leaving for the bride's house, they send two guys with flasks of wine with a warning. The guys receive gifts for this message. After their return with the news that the bride is ready, the procession sets off. Along the way, they visit the best man, symbolically shave him, and the women sing special songs. The best man joins the procession along with the bride's groomsman (his wife, mother or sister). In his hands he carries a flask with wine and a cake decorated with flowers, and the bridesmaid carries a basket covered with a silk scarf, which contains wreaths, a piece of cloth for a dress and lollipops.

The procession approaches the bride's house. In Crete, at this moment, both sides shoot guns as a sign of joy (in Crete, a gun is a necessary accessory for every home). In northern Greece, the groom must throw an apple or pomegranate over the roof of the bride's house. The clash between the party of the bride and groom, characteristic of the wedding ritual of many nations, takes on a wide variety of forms in Greece. This could be a fake fight between the groom's friends and the bride's family. Usually the bridesmaids slam the door in the groom's face and do not open it until he or the best man pays off with gifts, or as a sign of ransom they force his friends to sing and dance. In Crete, women from the groom's party sing in front of locked doors asking them to open them, and they are answered from inside with short, humorous songs. In other cases, the road is blocked with ropes, and a chicken (a common symbol of fertility) is demanded as ransom.

Finally the groom is allowed into the house. The best man and other representatives of his party come in with him. The bride's parents wait sitting. The groom kisses the hands of them and other relatives of the bride - according to seniority, after which a cheerful feast follows. In other places, the groom first of all approaches the bride, accepts a glass of wine from the hands of her sister, who then ties a tie around his neck beautiful scarf and hits him in the face three times. At the same time, the bride throws a similar scarf around the best man's neck and ties it with three knots. We are talking about protection from “tying up”, as a result of which a man cannot fulfill his marital duties. The reverse magical process - “unbinding” - includes many sometimes quite complex rituals. In this case, the protection is tying knots, so to speak, with a light hand. In another version of the ritual, close actions were filled, however, with a different meaning: the bridesmaids give the groom a scarf and try to hit him on the cheek with the palm of their hand or sprinkle powder on him, but his brothers-in-arms protect him, since the fulfillment of the girls’ intentions is considered a bad omen for the groom; A cheerful brawl ensues. In this same version of the ritual, the groom should not sit at the table with everyone else; he was served scrambled eggs separately. An explanation for this dying out in the 20th century. The prohibition is that its violation allegedly threatens the death of the mother-in-law. According to some reports, there was a custom according to which the priest put rings on the bride and groom not in the church, as usual, but in the bride’s house.

Everywhere important point The ceremony involved the bride leaving the house, and she had to pretend in every possible way that she was opposed to leaving her father’s house, that she was being taken away by force. At this stage, the custom of trying on shoes takes place. The shoes (necessarily white), unlike the rest of the suit sent by the groom the day before, are brought on the wedding day by one of the brothers-in-arms, who must put them on her feet. The bridesmaids try to steal the shoes, the bride pretends that they don’t suit her, and the brother pays off with money.

Finally, he leads the bride out, with both of them holding the ends of the same scarf. The bride says goodbye to her family, she is put on a horse, before leaving she is given a glass of wine, she takes three sips of it and throws the glass back over her shoulder. In other cases, the bride, coming out of her corner, crosses herself; then, having reached the threshold, he bows to the ground three times and, just as he is leaving the house, knocks over a glass of wine with his right foot.

The bride's exit always has a solemn and sad character. The bride kisses the family's hands; acts slowly and with downcast eyes - repairs. Often the bride and her loved ones cry, sad music plays. Sometimes, when saying goodbye, relatives give her gifts that her brother or sister collects. Her sister or cousin takes her out of the house, holding her by the armpits. However, according to other versions, this role can be played not only by her girlfriends or brothers, but also by the best man and godfather, i.e. people from the groom's party. During the farewell, the bride's relatives dance, but the groom's party cannot dance in this house. The entire procession is showered with a mixture of rice, grains, small sweets and money; the children pick it all up.

The movement of the procession to the church is carried out in a certain order: either the bride is led in front, and the groom's party goes behind, or the groom's party with the orchestra is in front, and the bride's party is behind. What is significant here, therefore, is not the very place of the parties in the procession, but their mutual symmetry relative to the center. They try to choose a different road than the groom's party took to the bride's house. The procession is accompanied by gunshots from spectators, music and singing. Bridesmaids most often sing a song about a faithful wife (the plot is reminiscent of “The Return of Odysseus”). In some places, one of the participants in the procession carries a lamb on a large spit. At the head of the procession there can also be a young man in a skirt and with a pole, on the end of which there is an apple and a white scarf is tied - a bairak (banner), symbolizing the purity of the bride. In other versions of the ritual, the same participant in the procession is called the standard bearer. Although some people in Northern Greece consider this custom to be Slavic, it is widespread throughout the country. The role of the bairak can be played by the national Greek flag; In addition to apples, flowers and rolls can be fixed on its top. In the latter case, the rolls are broken and pieces are distributed to those present upon returning to the groom's house. According to some information, bairak was done only in cases where the bride lived in another village. The bride and groom, as partially seen from the previous action, can move to the church either on foot or on horseback. If they are riding, which most often happens when the distance to the church is great, the cavalcade circles the church three times. The third time, the bride stops in front of the church doors, takes the boy in her arms, kisses him three times and gives him an apple with small coins stuck into it. The father-in-law or another senior relative of the groom removes her from the horse. If they go on foot, as they approach the church, a song is sung in which the bride is compared to a partridge caught in a net. The bride stops before entering the church and bows three times. She is led inside by her father-in-law or another senior relative of the groom.

The priest meets her at the threshold and leads her to the lectern. On the lectern there is a wedding cake and a cup of wine, with which the priest gives communion to the bride and groom. According to some reports, the bride throws a glass of wine served by the priest behind her back. When reading the text “Let the wife submit to her husband,” the bride and groom try to step on each other’s feet, since it is believed that the one who succeeds in this will be the leader in family life.

The main moment of a church ceremony is, of course, the wedding. Wreaths for this purpose are either woven by the bridesmaids from grape, currant and cotton shoots, or made from artificial flowers, but can also be made of silver and form part of the church property, provided by the priest only for the duration of the wedding, together with a richly decorated wedding belt and other bride's attire. The best man or godmother “changes the wreaths” of the bride and groom, and then throws a piece of cloth, located in the basket along with the wreaths, over the bride’s shoulder or wraps this cloth around both newlyweds. When walking around the lectern, rice mixed with sweets and small coins is thrown on them. In northern Greece, immediately after the wedding, the newlywed pins on outerwear present are bouquets of yellow mountain flowers - bead flowers. Parents and all guests take turns hugging the newlyweds, kissing them on the forehead and wishing them lasting happiness. In some places they express the triple wish “Live, go gray, grow old (i.e. live to old age and gray hair)”, accompanying each part with a jump. A copper jug ​​and basin appear on the stage, forming part of the bride's dowry. The young man takes the basin, the young woman takes the jug, and they help the kumbara and kumbara wash their hands, for which they reward them with money thrown into the basin. The young husband takes the newlywed by the arm, and they slowly and sedately set off on the road to her husband’s house. Fellow villagers crowding along the road greet them. When approaching the house, special songs are sung by the bridesmaids and the bride's mother. A very important moment in the wedding ceremony is considered to be the entry of the newlywed into her husband's house. There are many signs, rules and prohibitions associated with her actions. Each section of the bride's route (yard, threshold, doorframe, foot of the stairs, top of the stairs) is marked by special actions by herself and other participants in the ceremony. For example, her mother-in-law greets her with bread and a belt, which she places on the threshold. The young woman must step over them: if she steps over with her right foot, this is good omen, left - bad. Either she must step with her right foot on a plowshare located behind the threshold, or on an ax lying on the threshold, or she must crush an overturned plate lying on the threshold with her foot. Before entering the house, the bride bows deeply three times. She draws crosses with honey or oil on the doorframe or ceiling, or the participants in the procession carve them with their daggers. Here and there the young woman breaks one of the honey cakes over her head and throws the pieces over her shoulder around her. In cases where two large rolls are used for this, she throws pieces of one up the stairs and the other into the yard. If she carried these rolls from her father’s house, she breaks one on the way, the other when entering her husband’s house. It is important to note that at this moment (and not only at this moment) she herself and her actions become a source of magical power; in any case, pieces of the cake are collected by those present and stored as a magical remedy (or immediately eaten for the same purpose).

Sometimes the mother-in-law meets the newlyweds at the house, dancing, in other versions - near the gate. In both cases, upon entering, the newlyweds are showered with a mixture of rice, cotton grains and all sorts of small things (from a window or other elevated place). One of the brothers throws the empty wooden tray from under this mixture onto the roof of the house: if the tray falls bottom up, the young couple will have a boy, if bottom down - a girl. If the young woman’s face is covered with a veil (this is how the bride usually goes to church, but often her face is revealed in church and is not covered again), the mother-in-law lifts the veil and kisses the daughter-in-law, then the son. Then she invites them into the house, wrapping both of them with one piece of cloth or a towel over their shoulders, and blesses them. Sometimes she becomes a more active character than the younger one. In this case, it is she who breaks the roll over the bride’s head and scatters the pieces.

In Northern Greece, a jug is given to the bride at the foot of the stairs, and she pours a little water on the steps as she ascends, or a vessel is placed in her path, and she must knock it over with her foot. The father-in-law and mother-in-law, who in this case were not present at the wedding ceremony, stand at this time on the site and shower the newlyweds with candy, rice, cottonseed, chickpeas and coins, collecting which the boys create a dump. When the couple reaches the top step, a woolen blanket is laid on the floor, under which a pomegranate apple is placed. The newlywed must step on it and crush it with her foot.

Finally, the young people enter the house. The newlywed bows to her husband’s parents, kisses their hands and takes gold coins from their mouths, which they clench with their teeth as a sign that from now on they will only speak “golden words” to each other. She then greets everyone present. Often the young (or young) is placed on the lap of a boy, to whom she (or he) gives stockings and a shirt. Young people accept congratulations and gifts while standing at the table. They give them money or household utensils: pots, forks, spoons, blankets, bedspreads; if possible, they also make more significant gifts: livestock, etc. They congratulate and kiss the newlyweds one by one, starting with kumbar. In this case, one of the brothers-in-arms allows those congratulating them only after they say that they will give it as a gift.

Following this, the guests have a snack, and the priest loudly reads the dowry list, which is sealed with his signature and the signature of the young man, as well as the signatures of witnesses from among those present. The list is handed over to the father of the newlywed, who carefully keeps it, since in the event of the premature death of his daughter, he can claim the dowry back. The young woman's relatives give her husband a rooster, then go home and have fun on their own.

One of the husband's older relatives takes the bride to a small room, where she celebrates in the company of godmothers and other women, while the groom and his friends feast in another. Her husband's sisters sit her on a chair in the corner. While she walks decorously to this corner, one of them holds a loaf of bread with a salt shaker on it over her head. The young woman and her companions modestly satisfy themselves with singing, while in the large room, where they also sing, it comes to breaking dishes. In Northern Greece, it is customary for someone to jump out into the yard at the height of the fun, grab the largest rooster, spin it twice in the air and throw it with a flourish. Then everyone rushes to catch this rooster. The feast ends in the late afternoon, when the guests, accompanied by an orchestra, dance in the middle of the village, leaving the young man in the company of the young woman and her female entourage.

In other places, for example, in the big dance organized in the square, both young people take part. The bairak is brought to the square, four obligatory rounds of dance are conducted: the first - nun, the second - young, the third - noona, the fourth - young. Each round has its own order of dancers and its own text, which is first sung, and then its melody is repeated on a musical instrument. At the end of the dance, the young woman kisses the hands of all participants, starting with noona, and they give her money. Next, the young woman gives each of her brothers-in-arms a shirt, stockings or scarf. Everyone, having received a gift, jumps. The young woman pours water from a jug so that her brothers-in-arms can wash their hands, and the girls try to pour earth on their palms to get their hands dirty. After that, everyone goes home.

Subsequently, there are constant movements of the celebrants between the two houses, since a strictly defined circle of people takes part in each subsequent specific place. However, for a big feast on the wedding day, everyone gathers in the newlywed’s house. The young man and his brothers-in-arms invite guests. The young man kisses the hands of each of the invitees. According to some sources, they are the last to come to the kumbar and go with him to the young man’s house. Usually each guest pays his own contribution - meat and rice, etc. Young people do not constantly participate in the feast; they are invited to guests from time to time. They don’t kiss in public, but as a joke they are forced to kiss someone’s hand at the same time, so that their lips come closer. They raise toasts in honor of the newlyweds, the kumbara and kumbara, the priest, the guests, the laity, the hosts: “As many nail prints are in the Vardar valley, may God give so many blessings to the house where we sing.”

A young woman with a face covered with a veil pours wine for the guests to the accompaniment of a special song. An orchestra plays between guest songs. It is customary to encourage musicians to play by placing coins on their foreheads and raising toasts in their honor. Cooking continues throughout the night to ensure that no guests are left offended by food or drink. The young woman distributes gifts from her dowry to her husband's parents, kumbara, kumbara and everyone else.

The most important part of this feast is the dance, which usually begins after the arrival of the young father along with his guests. The young man closes the chain of men, and the kumbar holds his right hand, and with his left he squeezes his wife’s hand. She is followed by kumbara and then, in a certain order, the relatives of the young man. Another chain, consisting of the young woman’s relatives, dances behind the young man’s chain. The dance is a necessary formality and lasts no more than three rounds. Then the new arrivals are treated to food and leave for their home. Gradually the other guests begin to leave. The bride, if she is still under the veil, takes off the veil and remains with her head uncovered, decorated with flowers and gold thread. In the morning the kumbara and kumbara leave. They are accompanied with music. At his home, the kumbar treats his companions, and then everyone finally leaves.

Starting Monday, the young wife symbolically begins her household duties. There is a lot of information about what a young woman should do on this day. She helps all the members of her new family with their morning ablutions, kisses their hands and prepares breakfast. These morning ceremonies reflect the servile submission of the wife to her husband and his household, characteristic of Greek family life. In some areas this is emphasized by the fact that the young woman washes and kisses her husband’s family not only his hands, but also his feet. As a sign of farewell to her girlhood, the young woman gives out a golden thread from her wedding dress to the neighboring girls. From this day on, the tests of the young woman begin (and continue throughout the week) to test her ability to manage a household.

They specially start cooking, place the bread, throw a broom in the middle of the room - see if it will sweep. If one of the elders at dinner says: “I’m thirsty,” she must get up and bring water. Sometimes on Monday the young woman visits a public spring. She walks, accompanied by a girl, from her husband’s house, and on the way kisses the hands of everyone she meets (she must do this within 40 days after the wedding). Before collecting water, he throws money into the source. However, more often the ritual of the first visit to the source occurs on Wednesday, as described below. Perhaps the period depends on how long the young woman is considered ritually unclean (after losing her virginity). This assumption is supported by the fact that in some places a visit to the source takes place only a week after the wedding, and during this week the young woman does not leave the house at all, since she should not be seen on the street. In the latter case, the young woman’s seclusion is compensated by the fact that she dresses up all week, changing her dresses every day. On Monday she wears black velvet, and only after going out for the first time and visiting the spring does she put on ordinary clothes and an apron.

On Monday the holiday continues, becoming the most fun and unbridled. It is stated that the participants in the feast are usually unable to continue it beyond dawn on Tuesday, and often it ends earlier. In other places, on the contrary, this is a holiday for the closest people, who at the same time fool around different ways(in particular, they dance with the bride’s gifts thrown over their shoulders). The approximate order of the holiday is as follows. Around noon the young woman's parents visit her new house, then the young man pays them a return visit, and then goes to the kumbar. Meanwhile, a company of representatives of his party makes the rounds of the future guests with music (first they invite the parents of the young woman, then the kumbar, and only after that the rest of the guests). Each of them must contribute in the form of a pie, a tray of roast meat and a flask of wine. The young people bring these dishes to the young man’s house solemnly and with music. It is customary for the kumbar to spend more than the rest, and he usually sends a whole roasted lamb and a jug of wine. Usually there is enough food and drinks collected for the feast for everyone, so the leftovers are distributed as charity to the poor. Participation in the donation of the newlywed's former home is marked in a special way. According to some versions, it is limited to her mother sending sweets. In other cases, a whole performance is played out, during which the main cook of the holiday, armed with a large ladle, together with a group of assistants, attacks the young woman’s father’s house and “forces” her parents to hand over the necessary supplies.

On Tuesday, according to some sources, they rest; in other places a number of ceremonies fall on this day. In northern Greece, on Tuesday, the newlywed gives a scarf to each of the musicians, and also gives a gift to each person in the groom's party. At noon, her closest relatives gather and help make a cake from rice flour and milk. It looks like this. The young woman stands at a table in the middle of a large room and shapes the dough, while the others dance around her and stop from time to time to make cuts in the dough with coins. At the end of this procedure, a procession is formed, which, with music, carries the cake to the public oven. In the evening, the finished flatbread is taken home with the same ceremonies and eaten at dinner.

Wednesday usually marks a visit to the source. The newlywed goes there in her everyday dress alone or accompanied by two of her husband's closest relatives (or her mother and mother-in-law). On a bright, embroidered rug resting on her left shoulder, she carries a large vessel, holding it right hand, wound behind the head. In some places, one large vessel for carrying water is replaced by two copper jugs used for washing. The same vessels are carried by the women accompanying her. Cloves, flowers, grains of wheat and barley, and coins are first thrown into these vessels; all this is then emptied into the spring to appease its spirits. The vessels are washed, filled with water, taken home and poured out before entering. Sometimes this ceremony is repeated three times, bringing water from three different sources. According to other versions, the young woman fills the vessel three times and pours out the water at the very source, and, pouring out the water for the third time, pours out small money, which is immediately picked up by the children. Then he carries the water collected for the fourth time home, where everyone must wash themselves with it. In other versions of the ritual, the water is collected and carried by a boy whose both parents are alive. If the water is collected and carried in complete silence, then it will be “silent water” - a magical remedy highly valued by the Greeks.

Among the other rituals of this day, of interest is the ceremony with a broom, which is handed to the young woman, and she performs symbolic cleaning, walking in a circle and at the same time, as if bowing to her new family. At the same time, they throw money at her, and she sweeps it away. In other places, however, she should under no circumstances sweep the floor within a week after the wedding, “so as not to sweep out the members of her husband’s family.” There is also interesting information about the ritual of washing the bride, which apparently has the purpose of her ritual cleansing after the loss of innocence. The sister-in-law takes the newlywed to her mother, where she washes. The mother treats both of them, then they return to their husband's house. On Thursday, the young woman usually attends church, which apparently has the meaning of church cleansing. Early in the morning, other women of the new family (or married relatives) help her comb her hair and dress, and then take the young woman to church. After the morning service, everyone returns home, where refreshments are served. In other places, this ceremony is dedicated to Sunday, and the young woman continues to be considered to some extent ritually unclean: in any case, on this Sunday she still does not have the right to kiss the icons.

Timed to Friday (sometimes Sunday) the most important ritual post-wedding cycle, called the return, revolution, second wedding or anti-wedding. We are talking about a holiday in home young, accompanied by a feast, sometimes no less rich than the wedding itself, and special songs. The newlywed's parents are visited not only by the newlyweds, but also by the groom's relatives. But first, the young woman goes alone to her father’s house, where her mother washes her hair with water infused with yellow flowers and walnut leaves. Then the groom comes, and after the feast the newlyweds stay overnight in this house and spend the next day there. On Sunday at noon, the young man's father and other close relatives of both sexes come for them.

After visiting the young man’s house, other relatives on both sides alternately invite the young couple to visit, treat them and give various gifts to the young man (dress, dishes, even small livestock). But the wedding cycle in the strict sense of the word ends with a feast at the kumbar, which hosts both the groom's party and the bride's party. There, too, special songs are sung and gifts are exchanged. This holiday is usually celebrated a week after the “return”.

Despite the completion of the wedding cycle, the newlywed must observe a number of prohibitions throughout the year. She is not allowed to see a dead person, as this will lead to the death of someone in her new home, and to attend someone else's wedding - this can be disastrous for the newlyweds: her presence will cause their separation through divorce or the death of one of them. The daughter-in-law must wash the feet of her father-in-law or her husband's elder brother. If a husband orders his wife to bring something, she does not give the brought thing into his hands, but puts it near him, and she steps aside. Before the birth of her first child, she should generally behave as modestly as possible, not look her father-in-law in the face and mostly answer the questions asked of her, but not start the conversation herself. However, in the past there was a complete prohibition for a young woman to speak in the presence of her husband’s relatives. If necessary, she had to resort either to sign language, or whisper in the ears of her sister-in-law or children what she wanted to say, and they already repeated her words out loud. The period of such silence ranged from ten days to three months, after which the father-in-law or mother-in-law, having received a special gift or without it, allowed her to speak in their presence. Strict prohibitions were imposed on calling each other by name between the young woman and members of her new family, and the husband and wife could not call each other by name even in private (this prohibition, however, like the above, was quickly forgotten in the 20th century).

Greek culture dates back thousands of years and is deservedly considered one of the most original and ancient in the world. The 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, which to one degree or another spread its influence over the whole of Europe and half of Eurasia, simply cannot but be considered one of cultural centers planets. However, modern Greece, in the form in which tourists see it, actually has very little in common with ancient Hellas, and it itself is heavily mythologized. Anthropologists believe that in ancient times the territory of modern Greece was inhabited by completely different tribes than in our days, and the ancient Greek language itself, by the way, only officially consisting of 11 dialects, has no more similarities with modern Greek than modern Russian and Church Slavonic. Therefore, when getting to know the country, you should take into account the changes that have occurred to this land over its long and turbulent history.

Language

Modern Greek (Modern Greek) is one of the most striking examples of the cultural heritage of this country. Formed around the 12th century AD. e. As a means of interethnic communication among all the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, which were once part of the Byzantine Empire, it underwent dramatic changes over the following centuries. The Greeks are used to being proud of their language, directly linking it with the dialect of Homer or the myths of Attica, but in fact, Modern Greek has many more Slavic or Turkish word forms than ancient ones. And at the same time, in many areas, various local dialects are in full use - Sfakia in Crete, Tsakonika in the east and center of the Peloponnese, Sarakitsan in the mountainous regions, Vlash in the northwestern regions, and so on. At the same time, in some settlements you can hear the dialects of ethnic groups that are not officially taken into account in the country - Romaniot ("Greek Yiddish"), Arvanitika (Albanian), Macedonian, Rumean and Pontic (the languages ​​of the Greeks of the Black Sea region - in the 90s, many of they returned to their historical homeland, bringing with them their characteristic language), Pomak (Bulgarian with a large admixture of Turkish words), Cypriot, Gypsy, Turkish and so on. Each of them has its own history and basis, but they are all organically woven into the fabric of the modern Greek language, like individual threads in a canvas. And it itself is the language of interethnic communication, which any citizen of the country speaks fluently (at least theoretically).

Additional difficulties in perceiving this beautiful language still introduces a “confrontation” between its two branches - the “pure” (“kafarevusa”, katharevousa) form of Modern Greek until the beginning of the 20th century was used mainly in literature, but in everyday life the Greeks used a simpler version of “demotics”, or “dimotics” (dhimotiki, demotiki or demotic). “Demotics”, which absorbed many colloquial words and borrowings from Italian, Turkish and Slavic languages, served as the basis of the modern language. However, oddly enough, many archaic forms from the ancient Greek and medieval languages ​​were subsequently introduced into this form artificially, in order to “cleanse” the language of foreign borrowings, which, coupled with the integration processes of the second half of the 20th century, gave rise to considerable problems. The complexities of classical grammar and syntax were largely restored, and long-forgotten ancient words and phrases resounded again under the Hellenic sun. "Demotics" still retains its folk basis and is used in schools, on radio, television and in most newspapers. However, the church and jurisprudence still use their forms of "kafarevusa", which can already be safely considered independent dialects, since even many Greek emigrants do not understand them.

Greek grammar is obviously complicated; nouns are divided into three genders, all with different singular and plural endings. Just like in Russian, all adjectives and verbs must agree with nouns in gender and number. In general, in this area, our languages ​​are very similar, but only formally, since the Greeks in every possible way avoid obvious foreign borrowings, and it can be very difficult for a foreigner to navigate the flow of this melodious speech. And this similarity, by the way, only complicates auditory perception, especially of local geographical names.

During the reign of Metaxas, many Slavic, Turkish or Albanian villages were renamed in Greek, and this was often done in a primitive way - the ending “on” was added to the original name of the area, or the nearest Greek word was simply taken and “modernized” in the same way. These names are still official and still dominate most road signs and maps. At the same time, it was they who completely passed into the official Russian toponymy and maps. At the same time, the Greeks themselves prefer to use a simplified or non-Greek form, which is only spurred by the massive influx of repatriates and tourists who simply do not want to go into all these subtleties and are happy to use the simplified Plomari or Pelion, for example, instead of the official Plomarion and Pelion.

Added to this is the well-known confusion with the “saints” - in some nomes, for example, villages with the name Ayia-Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi), you can count more than a dozen, but mountains, hills and just heights with the name Profitis-Ilias on a small, in general Well, the territory of Greece is about one and a half thousand! So you shouldn't be surprised if a road sign reading Pandhrossos in Samos leads to the village of Arvanites, while the town of Ayia Paraskevi in ​​Epirus, for example, is still referred to by locals only as Kerasovon. Plus, the uncertainty with the transcription of the Greek alphabet into the Latin alphabet also causes a lot of inconvenience - the same “holy” toponyms are translated in English in several versions - the same Ayia-Paraskevi can be found on Western European maps either as Agia Paraskevi or as Ayia Paraskevi.

And all this chaos is crowned by the problem of “translating” many toponyms into Russian - due to the dominance of the “Pontic” school in our country (about a million Greeks lived in the USSR!) and the borrowing of many letters of the Greek alphabet in Cyrillic, many names of Greek settlements are “translated” into Russian from distortions. The same Ayia-Paraskevi, for example, can be written either as “Aya” or “Aya”, sometimes as “Ayia”, which is closer to the original, while the Cretan Chania (Khania, Canea) - sometimes as Hania, sometimes as Hania - and so everywhere. Therefore, for ease of perception and orientation on the ground, both options should be taken into account. If you have to turn to local residents for help, it is better to use official name- they, most likely, will perfectly understand what is where, since in the living Greek language big difference between "Aiya" and "Aiya", for example, there is simply no.

Moreover, the locals themselves are very respectful of foreigners’ attempts to learn at least a few words in Greek. A traveler who can string together a couple of phrases in Greek automatically moves from the category of idle visitor (touristas) to the more “noble” category of guest (xenos or xeni). And therefore, anyone who addresses a Greek, albeit in a broken, but local dialect, evokes in them a sincere and, most importantly, complacent desire to help. This is a little hampered by the well-known loquaciousness of the Greeks, which prevents a foreigner from getting a word in, but with a certain skill this can easily be avoided.

Accepted forms of greeting: “kyrie” - master, “kirie” - madam. Depending on the time of day, "kalimera" greetings are used ( Good morning, good afternoon), "calispera" (good evening). Thank you sounds like "efcharisto" in Greek. Interestingly, when a Greek speaks to a stranger or an elderly person, he often uses plural personal pronouns to convey politeness and respect towards the interlocutor. To avoid getting into trouble, you should know that “ne” in Greek means “yes”, “no” means “ohi”. When answering in the negative, the Greek slightly nods his head from bottom to top, and not from side to side (in this case, he wants to show that he does not understand). A wave with an outstretched palm in the interlocutor's face means an extreme degree of indignation, a rotation of the palm means surprise, and so on. And in general, the gestures and body language of local residents are sometimes no less expressive than speech, so sign language here is considered a very important component of conversation. But the meaning of many of them is sometimes very different from the ones accepted here, so you shouldn’t get carried away with a “visual” explanation of your words here - they can be misunderstood.

Religion

It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of the Greek Orthodox Church to the formation of the nation and its daily life. According to official data, 98% of the country's believers are parishioners of the Greek (Hellenic) Orthodox Church, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch. According to the constitution, the church is separated from the state, but at least half of the priests' salaries are paid by the state. The influence of religious institutions in the country is truly comprehensive - the priest is a highly respected person in the local community, most Greeks cannot imagine a wedding or funeral ceremony without a church, there is nothing to say about baptism or Easter. There are always images hanging in every home, and they can be seen in almost all offices, shops, and even on buses or taxis. In many schools, the school year begins with the blessing of the priest, and in some they also teach the Law of God. Interestingly, freedom of religion is recognized in the constitution, but, according to local canons, changing to another religion is officially prohibited.

Each 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 in which various church services, banquets, music and dance performances are held . Many Greeks return to their native places specifically to attend such a festival - but according to official statistics alone, almost 40% of local men work quite far from home. Most Greeks do not celebrate their birthday, but they certainly do on the day of “their” saint, in whose honor they were named. Typically, local ingenuity has even brought into the ranks of saints pagan gods like Dionysus or the ancient philosophers Socrates and Plato, and therefore there are many reasons for celebrations here. At the same time, those whose name is not associated with the calendar celebrate their name day on All Saints' Day, 8 weeks after Easter.

It is characteristic that the law allowing civil marriage has been in force in the country since 1982, but still 95% of couples get married in church. And at the same time, Greece is the second from the bottom of the list (after Italy) EU country in terms of birth rate, and its population is rapidly aging - much faster, by the way, than in Germany or Sweden. And all this despite a fairly long life expectancy - 75 years for men and 80 for women.

Greece is one of the recognized centers not only of Orthodoxy as such, but also of monastic life in general. There are about 800 monasteries in the country, including such places of worship as Meteora or Athos. However, in practice, local monasteries are populated rather sparsely, and even on Mount Athos barely more than one and a half hundred clergy constantly live, and many of the monks are not at all Greek by origin. Many churches and chapels in the country are almost all year round They remain closed, opening the doors only on the day of the saint to whom they are dedicated, or at the request of tourists - the key is usually kept by the caretaker living somewhere nearby.

Moreover, any kind of disrespect for the Greek statehood or church, as well as their employees, can end in failure. The Greeks themselves regard the central authorities with noticeable irony, to say the least, but the majority of local mayors and governors are indeed “coming from the people” and enjoy a certain authority. But the priest also serves as something of a spiritual leader of the community, often combining his direct duties with the role of a justice of the peace. It is recommended to avoid any ironic comments addressed to them, especially in public. It is interesting that verbal reproach from a priest or condemnation by the community in most cases means much more to a Greek than a court verdict, and therefore most local residents are very sensitive to their reputation.

At the same time, it is difficult to call the Greeks ultra-religious people - here they have a calm and respectful attitude towards the church, and nothing more. The Greeks are very superstitious, and ancient pagan traditions are clearly visible. It is not customary to praise someone, especially family members. Almost everyone wears some kind of amulets - each to their own, but most often you can see a simple turquoise bead (especially among children), sometimes with an eye drawn on it - a popular tourist souvenir. Houses and vehicles are decorated with icons, even donkeys are often equipped with colored beads. In case of any “danger”, the Greek will definitely spit over his left shoulder three times and knock on wood. On the Saturday before Easter, a plate will definitely be broken “for good luck” (this symbolizes the rejection of death), and the same ritual will be performed at a wedding. And the sacrifice of a lamb or lamb is an integral part of many Christian holidays in the country, just as it was many centuries ago, during the times of completely different gods. It is also obligatory to offer the guest something to drink, even a glass of water or coffee, which is an echo of the ancient tradition of protection from evil forces. In general, it is often simply impossible for an outsider to understand this whole tangle of beliefs, traditions, rituals and prejudices.

An equally strong pagan connotation is carried by the magnificent Greek carnivals, which, although celebrated according to different dates of the Christian calendar, have obvious roots in antiquity. However, what else can you expect in a country where the Parthenon still stands and Olympus rises, and almost a third of the mountains and valleys bear the names of ancient gods. However, the Greeks honor “modern” saints with the same scope and passion as the ancient gods. The most striking example of this is... sirtaki. The same dance, without which not a single holiday is complete and which has long become the hallmark of the country. Despite the fact that it itself is very young (the “classical” version was invented literally in a few minutes by Mikis Theodorakis for the Hollywood film by Jeremy Arnold “Zorba the Greek”, 1964), it absorbed many dance elements of truly folk dances of the country - Cretan “pidikhtos” and “sirtos”, Athenian “hasapiko”, island “nafpiko”, continental “zeibekiko” and dozens of others. And the Greeks themselves, without regard for tourists, dance all the same ancient folk dances, simply calling them “sirtaki” - for brevity and clarity to outsiders. In fact, the dance and music traditions of Greece are so complex and diverse that hundreds of scientific works have been written about them, and dance groups are still indispensable participants in any more or less important event in the country.

By the way, the Greeks still give sincere preference to their folk art forms, so here you can easily see the same “sirtaki” at a youth disco, or completely unimaginable variations of it at any wedding, or, which is not uncommon, at a funeral. At the same time, the musical instruments used are equally ancient - the indispensable bouzouki (another calling card of the country, also revived from oblivion by composer Mikis Theodorakis, and the word “bouzouki” itself still means a night restaurant with live music), lute, lyre, reed flute , bagpipes, mandolin and others. And, of course, folk costume- an equally indispensable participant in many holidays. Moreover, the Greeks use it not only “on occasion” - here a richly ornamented shirt, an embroidered vest, a black skirt with a bright apron or a red scarf with pendants can be seen at holidays no less often than a three-piece suit or business dress. Even the honor guards at national shrines do not stand in full army uniform, but in traditional skirts, vests, tight pants and “slippers with pom-poms” - such is the great respect of local residents for their history and traditions.

Family life

The Greeks consider not only mother, father and children as members of their family, but also all grandparents, aunts, uncles and other cousins. In rural areas, since both parents usually work on the land and are not often at home, grandparents live with their children and care for their grandchildren. In cities, the picture is closer to the pan-European one, but even here it is simply impossible to imagine a Greek family without numerous relatives visiting each other every day or living 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.

Greeks feel a strong attachment to their native village, district or region. Community, albeit informal, is no less important a factor here than in Italy or France, for example. Well, if among fellow countrymen there are relatives, even distant ones, then the Greek’s joy will never end. Almost two-thirds of the local population live in urban areas, so the compatriot factor quickly forms some semblance of informal communes in a new place (just remember the Athens district of Moshato, where the majority of immigrants from the countries of the former USSR live). At the same time, most Greeks, even those who moved to cities long ago, try to preserve their own land and house in the countryside - some for recreation, others as a dacha or summer house. Moreover, neighbors at their previous place of residence often try to settle nearby and in the city, bringing with them their traditions and customs, so many urban areas on weekends or in the evening look little different from the village - the same companies in the courtyards, the same joint holidays and important events. And if any problems arise, the Greeks first turn to their loved ones for help and only then to some government or financial authorities.

Traditionally, Greek society was quite divided along gender lines. Even before the arrival of the Turks, men and women had very different roles in the family and different positions in society. Women were expected to focus their efforts on the family and home, while men were expected to provide the family with everything they needed. Today these roles have changed, and quite dramatically. Women in local society have long had equal rights with men and reached great professional heights, since 1952 they have the right to hold public positions. At the same time, we should not forget that the mother and grandmother have always had a very high position in the local family, and “new trends” only strengthen this status. When getting married, a Greek woman can keep her maiden name. Greek women are considered one of the most emancipated in Eastern Europe, and without any politicization of this process.

Many travelers note how the relationship between the sexes is a funny moment ancient tradition the holiday of Ginekratia, or Ginekratio (usually January 8), celebrated in some areas of the northern part of the country. This is a kind of “role exchange day” - women spend their day in a cafe or with friends, while men do housework. Moreover, this is all done with a great deal of humor and is slowly beginning to gain popularity in other areas, albeit as one of the elements of the Christmas holidays.

When a young couple gets married, families on both sides help them organize their life and household. Greek children are very loved in the family and usually live with their parents for a very long time - almost until their own marriage, so property issues and assistance to the young family are really important here. Greeks traditionally name their first-born children on the seventh or ninth day after birth, usually after the paternal grandfather for a boy or the paternal grandmother for a girl. Well, the names of other relatives are “used” for subsequent children, which everyone is very proud of, by the way. However, since children are an almost sacred concept for a Greek, so many traditions and customs revolve around them that a whole book could be devoted to this.

Many tourists are surprised by the slovenly appearance of Greek cities and neighborhoods. Indeed, local houses, which are built anyway without any special architectural sophistication, often have a rather characteristic appearance of an “eternal construction site”, with a forest of reinforcement sticking out of the roof and sheets of protective film hanging from the walls. Plus, the frames of solar collectors and water-heating tanks, which are so typical for the country, stick out everywhere, all kinds of antennas, a whole network of wires stretches, or old building materials are lying around, sometimes removed from the same house ten years ago. However, this is not the carelessness we are accustomed to, but simply the peculiarities of local construction - there is not much space for new housing in mountainous Greece, “high-rise buildings” are very expensive to build due to seismicity, but expansion is necessary. So what is needed at the moment and for this family is built, and if it grows, the rest will be gradually completed and equipped, fortunately the local climate allows us not to worry too much about many things that are familiar to us, like the thickness of the walls. This is where the “blanks” from the previous stage come in handy - often such a unique modularity is specially built into the house design so that the owner does not have to waste time on additional approvals and drawings in the future. However, in the provinces they build more thoughtfully and thoroughly, so many rural areas of Greece look much nicer than large cities.

It is characteristic that parents usually build or complete a house not for their sons, but for their daughters - they are the informal heirs of their parents, although according to the law all children have equal rights. However, a simple rule is often followed: daughters inherit from their parents, sons from their grandparents, or vice versa.

In general, relationships between people different ages Quite standard for a European country. However, respect for elders is all-encompassing - they are the first to enter the room, the first to sit at the table, preside over all ceremonies and are the main advisers in all aspects of family life. If several elderly people are sitting at the table, they focus on the oldest, even if he is not a family member. Children usually carry out all sorts of small tasks or serve their elders to the extent of decency (open servility is not encouraged here). Tradition forces younger women to publicly submit to men and not contradict them, but older women in the family can interrupt men's conversations without fear. And in general, Greek women do not stand on ceremony in this matter, but only “within their own circle.” Shouting and swearing in public is considered a sign of the inability to solve one’s affairs independently and calmly, and therefore is openly not welcomed. At the same time, the issue of kinship or acquaintance is also important - if in public a simply dressed woman openly reprimands a respectable man, then you can be sure that this is either his relative or a good friend of his relatives. Otherwise, such obvious humiliation of a man in the eyes of others is simply unacceptable. But a man has practically no right to publicly raise his voice at a woman - not her herself, but those around him will quickly “stick” him the label of a weakling, which in local conditions can be very difficult to correct. However, this again concerns the Greeks themselves - in areas where ethnic minorities live, the picture may be completely different.

Hospitality

Guests for a Greek are something sacred. Moreover, there are a great many customs and rituals associated with receiving guests. The ability to receive a guest here is the same element of “philotimo” as repayment of debts or personal courage. Moreover, this is not an ostentatious act, but a completely sincere desire of any local resident. People visit Greece a lot and often, and unlike many neighboring countries, it is customary here to receive guests in their own home, and not in a cafe or restaurant, although the latter is not uncommon. Moreover, by the character of the first guest they judge what the day, week or year will be like: a calm person came - that means there will be a quiet period, noisy and fiery - that means everything will be fun, and so on. The owners will provide the rest themselves, and with all possible cordiality. The guest is only required to follow a few simple rules - cross the threshold of the house with the right foot (an almost disappearing custom, but in the provinces it is clearly visible), wish something good to the whole house and its owners at the entrance, bring a small gift with you, and, well, of course, the ability to behave with dignity at the table. Flowers, sweets or wine are perfect gifts; something more serious should only be given on special occasions. It is typical that it is not customary here to open gifts in the presence of guests.

It is highly recommended to praise the skill of the hostess or cook - for a Greek, a person who knows how to cook deliciously is often almost a saint. And since this role is traditionally performed by wives or mothers, any praise addressed to them will be received with special enthusiasm. The main thing here is not to overdo it, since praising someone too much, as mentioned above, is unacceptable for a Greek. But discussing the nuances of dishes with “subtle hints” about the skill of their author is already quite acceptable. Everything else is quite European.

The Greek feast is not burdened with any particularly complex codes and traditions; the main thing here is respect for the hosts and senior members of the company, as well as goodwill and the ability to carry on a conversation (preferably with humor). Everything else is in the hands of the owners, since a Greek table is always a feast and a whole set of various traditional elements that a foreigner still won’t remember the first time. The presentation of dishes, their order and selection - all this has its own meaning and meaning for a Greek; it is better to simply enjoy it than to think about the reasons and origins.

It is interesting that the word “symposium” itself, translated from ancient Greek, means “drinking together” - even now the connection between feast and conversation can be traced here very clearly. Often lunch or dinner is quickly moved or even initially organized in the fresh air - in the courtyard, on the veranda, in some restaurant in a picturesque place - the atmosphere and surroundings of the meal are no less important for a Greek than the action itself. At the same time, you should be prepared that as the feast progresses, more and more new guests will join him - both invited and “dropping in for a sneak peek.” This means that for almost half the evening you will have to greet someone, get acquainted, exchange news, and so on. Without knowledge of the language this is not easy, but for most Greeks, it seems, this does not matter in the slightest - “the main thing is that the person is good.”

If the feast is organized outside the home, in a restaurant or tavern, then the atmosphere is usually more informal. In general, a cafe, uzeria or tavern for any Greek is one of the most important places on Earth. Many tourists have the strong impression that all Greek men do is sit in cafes and drink. In reality, everything is exactly the opposite - Greeks often drop into such establishments, but rarely stay there for a long time, only in the evenings noisy groups of friends and acquaintances gather here - but where in Europe is it different? Any cafe or uzeria is, first of all, a meeting place, and not a “hot corner”, a point for exchanging news and settling matters, and only then an establishment where you can drink and sit. In many multi-ethnic areas, this is also a means of “venting steam”, allowing people of different faiths and beliefs to meet - maybe that’s why conflicts on ethnic grounds are so rare in Greece? But the main thing is that this is the place where any Greek man socializes, learns the latest gossip, meets business partners, friends and relatives, often receives guests or celebrates festive events. That's why the atmosphere here is special.

It is interesting that the inattention of waiters to a lonely visitor, which irritates many tourists, is not at all due to their laziness, but precisely to the tradition of this country of visiting taverns in large groups. Therefore, one person at a table for local staff only means that he is simply waiting for company - then the menu and everything else will be offered, but for now it is simply pointless to waste time and effort on him. In popular tourist areas, waiters have already learned that this is not always the case, however, even here it is still recommended to make some kind of inviting gesture, indicating that they are ready to order. However, the natural slowness of the Greeks still has a place here, but there is no point in making noisy scenes about this - it is pointless, and you can “lose face” in the eyes of the staff - it is better to simply tune in in advance to the typical local service. Moreover, if you visit a tavern in the company of local residents, all these problems will be solved - the Greeks themselves seem to be able to communicate with each other in some other language, so the service usually does not cause any complaints.

However, another “complexity” arises here - if a Greek invites someone to dinner, then he also pays the bill. Offering your participation or share here is at least unreasonable, since for a local resident the inability to pay his bill is at least humiliating, and a guest is included in the concept of “one of our own” unconditionally. This option is possible only in case of a preliminary agreement based on some large group of people, and nothing else. Interestingly, Greeks almost always pay bills in a tavern or restaurant only in cash. Only in large hotel restaurants, in some ports and on ferries you can pay by non-cash means, but even here it is somewhat unusual for the staff.

As in all Mediterranean countries, the ritual of 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 simply make noise. During the afternoon rest, the characteristic slowness of the Greeks takes on the most grotesque forms - sometimes you have to wait a very long time for your order or bill. Interestingly, the time between midnight and 8.00 in residential areas is also considered "dead hour", although many restaurants and construction crews are not very concerned about their noise levels.

Other customs

The concept of “philotimo” is considered to be one of the hallmarks of Greek culture. Literally, this concept can be translated as “friend of honor,” but in reality its meaning is much broader - there is generosity, hospitality, respect for others (especially elders), love of freedom, personal pride, dignity, courage, and, of course, a sense of humor and about a dozen more concepts. The most prominent philosophers of the country (both modern and ancient) more than once turned to the description of the various components of “philotimo,” but they always emphasized its connection with the entire complex of human relationships, and not with any specific “parameter.” Therefore, it is now customary to describe it simply as “honor,” meaning by this the whole set of ethical norms that are important to every Greek much more than the simple sum of its parts.

Despite the somewhat pompous and archaic nature of the concept, “filotimo” remains important element the life of a Greek, significantly influencing his behavior. Lies, non-repayment of debt, failure to fulfill promises - all this can become an indelible stain for life, so many Greeks really try to avoid such “offences”, at least in relation to their loved ones and friends. In relation to a “stranger”, petty cunning or dishonesty is “as if allowed,” but if it comes to light, the culprit will have a hard time.

However, it should be taken into account that in recent years many foreigners have moved to the country. And now in the sphere of trade, services and among unskilled workers, the overwhelming majority are Albanians, Macedonians, Bosnians, Romanians and other immigrants from nearby countries. Therefore, here you can encounter any attitude towards tourists - from typical local friendliness to outright hostility.

Getting drunk and appearing drunk in a public place has always been a cause of contempt in Greece as an inability to control oneself. Appearing drunk when committing any offense is not considered here as a mitigating circumstance, but on the contrary, and noticeably so. This is the reason for many quite serious conflicts with foreign tourists. Here lies the reason that a Greek will never insist on “one more” at the table - the sense of proportion and the art of wine drinking are elevated to a cult here (among close people you can still count on some leniency, but nothing more). The reputation of a drunkard here is quite capable of ruining a person’s whole life, and a foreigner caught in this vice will be ignored in every possible way - albeit not always explicitly, but often very sarcastically.

With such a complex and multifaceted “code of honor” as “philotimo”, it can be quite difficult to combine the lively and cheerful temperament of the Greeks themselves, but they somehow manage to do it. In everyday life, Greeks are real hedonists. They are never in a hurry, don’t stress at work, don’t try to “jump in over their heads,” try in every possible way to evade “duties” that they consider unnecessary, and generally live for the present day. But they do it with some special grace, without crossing the line of outright laziness and idleness. Many note that the spirit of competition is alien to the Greeks, but this is only in those cases where, in the opinion of the Greek, this is unacceptable - just see the local dances to understand where this is still simply necessary.

At the same time, the traditional “Mediterranean temperament” can be seen very clearly here. The Greeks are cheerful, have a wonderful sense of humor and do everything they like with amazing passion - they have fun and sadness, talk and dance, argue and even pray. If we add to this the well-known musicality of this people and their ancient dance traditions, then it is easy to understand what kind of “cauldron” is boiling at any local holiday or sad event (the latter in terms of the level of “intensity” are often not very different from the holiday).

You can often hear how, in a conversation between two Greeks, some mutual acquaintance is literally criticized “to dust.” Moreover, the abundance of noise and gestures creates the full impression of the beginning of a major conflict. And many tourists are very surprised to learn that this is not envy of the person in question and not a desire for harm to him, but on the contrary - protecting him from the evil eye and damage. Moreover, the Greek will be very disapproving of the fact that someone else will join this kind of “discussion”. Even to questions about life, a local resident will most often answer quite in our way - “normal!” (maybe this is what makes mutual understanding between Russian tourists and Greeks so much easier?).

As in many other Mediterranean countries, in Greece it is not customary to take your eyes off the interlocutor during a conversation. If a Greek “broadcasts into space,” you can be sure that the conversation is about something insignificant and not very important. And if a Greek looks around, looking for someone among those around him, then it is better to end the conversation - the interlocutor is clearly bored, and he is trying to end the conversation himself. Hence the habit of people on the streets, especially in the provinces, to peer into the eyes of people they meet, or the manner of sellers to try to look into the eyes of the buyer. Equally common is the habit of older people to take their interlocutor “by the elbow”, pat him on the shoulder, and so on - but this is precisely the case in the case of contact with representatives of the older generation, to whom a lot is forgiven here. Among people who do not know each other, this kind of treatment is somewhat inappropriate, and is more likely to be seen in ethnic minority areas than among Greeks themselves, who know how to “keep their distance.” However, when entering a tavern or store, it is quite normal to say hello to everyone present, including strangers. In provincial towns, even on the streets, everyone greets everyone, often more than once a day.

The Greeks have a rather unique attitude towards money. In terms of income, it is one of the poorest “old” countries of the European Union, but the number of “financial empires” owned by Greek citizens is quite comparable to those of other, richer countries. A Greek will never strain beyond measure to earn money, but will take a million tricks to do it without extra effort. And at the same time, he is quite capable of spending huge amounts of money by local standards on a festive dinner with friends or gifts for relatives. In general, it seems that it is much more important here to show the very fact of having money than to actually have it. And at the same time, it is unlikely that the Greeks can be accused of being tight-fisted - the broad soul and healthy sense of humor of the local residents do not allow them to put themselves at the service of money, rather the opposite.

Well, the attitude of the Greeks towards time and their lack of punctuality have long become the talk of the town. Many guests of the country even joke that there is only the concept of “approximate time”, but local residents simply have no idea about the exact time. There is a certain amount of truth in this joke, since the Greeks do treat all time frames very loosely. The schedule for most means of transport here is such a conditional concept that the mark “12.00” will most likely mean “somewhere from 11.00 to 13.00”, and “after 15.00” and even “either it will arrive or not”. Even the Greeks have their own concept of the time of day - the morning here is all before 12.00 (which is why the greetings “kalimera” and “kalispera” have quite clear boundaries), the “afternoon” comes no earlier than 17.00-18.00, although the Greeks actually have lunch much earlier ! In Greece, dinner begins no earlier than 21.00, and the “evening” lasts long after midnight. Perhaps only a siesta (“micro-hypno”) and the schedule of international air or sea flights are more or less accurate here.

Cloth

The Greeks have always been famous as one of the tidiest inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Traditionally not a very rich nation with ancient history and traditions have always paid great attention to clothing, as a status element of its owner. Therefore, even now, sloppiness in clothing or appearance for a Greek is a sign of poverty, and not “advancement.” Neither men, nor especially women, skimp on clothes here. But a sense of taste and proportion is extremely important - just look at the traditional folk costume to understand how much attention these people paid and pay precisely to the aesthetic component of their life.

It is interesting that, noticeably inferior to their Italian neighbors in terms of general living standards, the Greeks spend almost the same amount on clothes as the famous “fashionistas of Europe”. Despite the fact that in the street crowd here you can find people dressed almost according to the template, in fact the Greeks very clearly distinguish between clothes “for work” and “for themselves”. For a local man, the hem of his shirt coming out of his trousers and his sleeves being rolled up are already a “victim of fashion.” Usually they try to dress simply, comfortably and somewhat conservatively, with great approval for the same style of a guest of the country.

As such, there is no “dress code” in any establishment in the country; only fashionable restaurants can require their visitors to have a tie or jacket, albeit in a fairly mild form. It’s easy to guess that in the local hot climate, a different style of behavior would look simply mocking. But also carelessness in clothing or a clear challenge to others appearance may cause a very controversial reaction, especially in the provinces.

Most monasteries impose fairly strict requirements on the dress of their visitors. No shorts, T-shirts, short skirts and bare shoulders, many monasteries will even be reluctant to allow a woman in trousers, although recently these requirements have been somewhat softened. In general, the requirements do not differ much from those accepted in our religious institutions, so complying with them is by and large not difficult.