CULTURE - TRADITION - DIETARY HABITS

Religious composition

The Greek Constitution recognizes Eastern Orthodoxy as the “prevailing” faith of the country, while guaranteeing freedom of religious belief for all.

The Greek government, safeguarding the freedom of religion, does not keep statistics on religious groups and censuses do not ask for religious affiliation.

Article 13 (Constitution in force, https://www.hellenicparliament.gr/UserFiles/f3c70a23-7696-49db-9148-f24dce6a27c8/001-156%20aggliko.pdf)

1. Freedom of religious conscience is inviolable. The enjoyment of civil rights and liberties does not depend on the individual’s religious beliefs.
2. All known religions shall be free and their rites of worship shall be performed unhindered and under the protection of the law. The practice of rites of worship is not allowed to offend public order or the good usages. Proselytism is prohibited.
3. The ministers of all known religions shall be subject to the same supervision by the State and to the same obligations towards it as those of the prevailing religion.
4. No person shall be exempt from discharging his obligations to the State or may refuse to comply with the laws by reason of his religious convictions.
5. No oath shall be imposed or administered except as specified by law and in the form determined by law.

Folk traditions – customs

In Greece, tradition is still alive.

Traditional weddings that start with dressing the bride and bouncing a baby boy on the nuptial bed; the bride escorted to the church by musicians; the especially complex wedding rituals of Lefkas; the heart- wrenching Maniot dirges, the musical accompaniment on the journey to the other world.

Clean (Ash) Monday, equivalent to Ash Wednesday, ushers in the 40-day fasting period with meatless picnics and a sky full of colourful kites. 

May Day usually involves making flower wreaths before sunrise, then burning them on Midsummer Eve.

Saints’ Day Celebrations, Saints’ Days are celebrated in rural chapels and town churches all year round. Usually preceded by a mass on the eve of the local or patron saint’s name day, the festival (panigyri)– features free food, drink, traditional music and dancing with the congregation into the wee hours. On the Ionian islands of Corfu, Kefalonia and Zante, the patron saints Spyridon, Gerasimos and Dionysios are honoured processions accompanied by marching bands.

The celebrations on August 15 in honour of the Virgin, attract thousands of worshipers. Especially popular are those at the cathedral of Tinos, Ekatondapyliani on Paros and Hozoviotissa on Amorgos.

Christmas in Greece 

Christmas (Xristougenna), the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus is one of the most joyful days of the Greek Orthodox Church. Traditionally, the Christmas holiday period in Greece lasts 12 days, until January 6, which marks the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Theophany (Epiphany). There are many customs associated with the Christmas holidays, some of which are relatively recent, “imported” from other parts of the world (like eating turkey on Christmas day and decorating the Christmas tree). In the past, Greeks decorated small Christmas boats in honour of St. Nicholas and today, they are increasingly choosing to decorate boats, instead of trees, reviving this age-old Christmas tradition. 

Easter in Greece

The Feast of all Feasts

Considered the most important holiday on Greek calendar and one of the richest in folklore, the celebration of Orthodox Easter (Pascha) is unique throughout Greece. From Crete to Macedonia, Easter customs become a herald of the spirit’s and nature’s rebirth, while Easter celebrations constitute a vivid aspect of the folk culture, rich in meaning and symbolism. 

Apokries: The Greek Carnival 

Greece’s Carnival season known as “Apokries” is mainly a period of masquerading, but also eating, drinking and dancing. Traditionally, it begins ten weeks before Greek Orthodox Easter and culminates on the weekend before “Clean Monday,” (Ash Monday) the first day of Lent. “Apokria”, literally means “goodbye” to the period of meat-eating, or abstinence from meat (Apo-kreo, meaning away from meat). 

Did you know?

• In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name rather than their own birthday.
• There are over 4000 traditional dances that come from all regions of Greece. There are also Pan-Hellenic dances, which have been adopted throughout the Greek world.
• In Greece, people celebrate the name day of the saint that bears their name.

Dietary habits

Greek Cuisine is the term to describe the traditional food ethics of the Greeks. At 320 B.C. the first cookery book was written by ancient Greek, Orchestrate, who is considered as the father of gastronomy.

Although Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, there are some flavourings that are used more often than other Mediterranean cosines such as oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill and bay leaves.

Greeks typically have 3 meals a day. Traditionally the largest meal of the day was lunch, but many habits have changed due to Greeks adapting a westernized way of living.

• Proino-Breakfast
• Mesimeriano-Lunch
• Vradino-Dinner

Greek Gastronomy

Greece enjoys a huge variety of agricultural products. Olives and olive oil, cheeses, wines, mastic and saffron are but a few of the products that have won international acclaim as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and received important distinctions for their quality and particularly delectable characteristics.

Did you know?

• The word diet comes from the Greek dieta, a word meaning way of life.
• The traditional Mediterranean diet delivers as much as 40% of total daily calories from fat, yet the associated incidence of cardiovascular diseases is significantly decreased.
• Mediterranean diet increases the amount of “Omega-3 fatty acids,” a substance the rest of the developed societies do not get enough of.
• The people of Crete Island are among the longest living in the world. Researchers have linked their longevity to various factors among which, their daily diet.

Famous Products

In a recent initiative, called quality farm products’ basket, already known in Europe, Greek regions have launched promotion campaigns at both domestic and international level, aiming at advertising their quality products and mainly those characterized as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication).

The basket, hallmark of regional food’s excellence, includes products of animal and plant origin such as cereals, pome fruits, stone fruits, legumes, wine, herbs – medicinal plants, fodder plants, products made with goat milk, as well as meat, mushrooms, fish, traditional products and others.

Olive Oil

Greek olive oil is the basis of the Mediterranean Diet. As the main ingredient of every recipe found in Greek traditional cuisine, olive oil plays a dominant role in Greek nutritional habits. Greek olive oil is known worldwide for its purity, exceptional taste and high nutritional value.

Did you know?

• There are approximately 120,000,000 olive trees in Greece.
• Greece is the world’s third largest producer of edible olives and olive oil, with a 16% share of the international olive oil market.
• Some olive trees planted in the 13th century are still producing olives.
• According to Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon agreed that whoever gave the city the best gift would become its patron. Though Poseidon gave the gift of water, Athena’s gift of an olive tree was deemed by the other gods to be more valuable.
• Olive oil has been regarded as the “beauty oil”. The body’s cells incorporate the valuable fatty acids from the oil, making arteries suppler and skin more lustrous.

Wine
Greek vineyards are among the world’s oldest and have produced wines for thousands of years. Thanks to its geographical location in the temperate Mediterranean region, Greece is endowed with favourable climatic conditions for vine growing. 

Did you know?

• Greece, the renowned birthplace of Dionysus, the god of wine, has arguably one of the longest wine histories in the world. Wine is being produced in Greece for more than 4,000 years.

Cheese
Greece produces some of the finest cheeses in the world, for every type of cooking and every occasion. Apart from the best known feta, many other varieties, equally protected under the PDO provisions, are worth tasting.

Greek cheeses like the hard, salty kefalotiri and graviera, the sweet manouri, the fresh mizithra or the smoked metsovone, are all produced with the most traditional and qualitative way. All these Greek cheeses are exported throughout the International market making Greece and important exporter.

Did you know?

• The first recorded cheese maker ever is the one-eyed giant Cyclop, as mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey.
• The annual per capita consumption of cheese in Greece is about 25 kilos, more than in France or Italy, who are also famous European cheese lovers.

Mastic
The mastic of Chios island (Mastiha Chiou) is characterized as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product, exported from Chios all over the world. It is a natural, aromatic resin, produced from the mastic trees that grow exclusively on the Aegean island of Chios. It is used as a natural chewing gum, but most importantly, it is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and even in the culinary world.

Did you know?

• Although mastic trees grow in many Mediterranean countries, they produce little or no mastic, except for those of south Chios. Therefore, Chios Island is the only place in the world where mastic is produced. This is probably because of the volcanic composition of the soil and the climate.
• The abundant therapeutic properties of mastic had been already noted by the father of medicine, Hippocrates, while its use as the first natural chewing gum and as a cooking spice has also been documented from antiquity.

Saffron
The Greek red saffron (Krokos Kozanis) is PDO protected and placed among the most precious and valuable spices inherited by ancient civilizations, due to its aromatic, colour, pharmaceutical and aphrodisiac properties.  The northern Greek prefecture of Kozani is one of just four regions in the world where saffron is grown, and the Greek variety is considered of supreme quality, a distinction worthy of the attribute ‘flower of the Mediterranean cuisine’. Collecting, sorting and processing are done without any help from technology. Approximately 50,000 stigmas are needed to produce just 100 g of red saffron.

Did you know?

• Frescoes in the palaces of Knossos (1600 B.C.) clearly depict a young girl gathering crocus flowers. Fragmentary wall-paintings at the archaeological site of Akrotiri, on Santorini Island depict saffron gatherers who offer their crocus-stamens to a seated lady, perhaps a goddess. Moreover, in his writings, Homer calls dawn, a crocus veil.

Fishery and Aquaculture

Greece is a country with a large tradition in quality fishery. With a 4,000-kilometre coastline around the mainland, plus a further 11,000 kilometres around the Greek islands, Greece offers excellent conditions for fishery operations: the waters around Greece are home to approximately 250 marine creatures.  

Although modern technology has changed fishing industry worldwide, the majority of Greek coastal fishermen still fish with the traditional methods and fishery fans around the globe include Greek Fishery within their choices and honour them with their preference.
The Greek sea fishery lands around 130,000-160,000 tonnes of fish and seafood every year. About 90% of this is caught in the Aegean Sea. Some of the most common species are sardine, anchovy, sea bream (tsipoura), sea bass (lavraki) and Mediterranean mussels.  

The Greek sea is also the source of many delicacies like avgotaraho, a traditional fish roe delicacy, protected under PDO and considered by many as Greece’s answer to caviar.  Smoked trout, smoked eel and a host of other preserved fish are among the country’s most prized local delicacies, as well as a growing part of food exports market.

Did you know?

• Greek fishery is considered a ‘Med champ’. Fish, is the second largest agricultural export after olive oil, and sometimes, comes first. The country exports almost 85% of its products and for some species Greece accounts for nearly half of global production.

Public holidays

It is important to know that in addition to these special public holidays, Greek law indicates that every Sunday (Κυριακή – Kiriaki) of the year is also considered to be a public holiday. Here is a look at the holidays:

• New Year’s Day – January 1st – Πρωτοχρονιά – Protohronia
• Epiphany – January 6th – Θεοφάνεια – Theophania
• Clean (Ash) Monday – Varies Yearly – Καθαρά Δευτέρα – Kathara Theftera
• Independence Day & Annunciation to the Theotokos – March 25th – Εικοστή Πέμπτη Μαρτίου – Ikosi Pemti Martiou & Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου – Evaggelismós tís Theotókou
• Good (Holy) Friday – Varies Yearly – Μεγάλη Παρασκευή – Megali Paraskevi
• Easter (Easter Sunday)– Varies Yearly – Κυριακή του Πάσχα – Kiriaki Tou Pascha
• Easter Monday – Varies Yearly – Δευτέρα του Πάσχα – Theftera Tou Pascha
• Labor Day (May Day) – May 1st – Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά – Ergatiki Protomagia
• Pentecost – Varies Yearly – Πεντηκοστή – Pentikosti
• Dormition of the Virgin Mary – August 15th – Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου – Kimisi tis Theotokou
• Ochi Day – October 28th – Το Όχι or Ημέρα του Όχι – To ochi or Imera tou Ochi
• Christmas Day – December 25th – Χριστούγεννα – Christougenna
• Glorifying Mother of God – December 26^th – Σύναξις Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου Μαρίας – Sínaxis Iperagías Theotókou Marías

Please note that in addition to the aforementioned official public holidays, there are also holidays that vary locally, related to patron saint of the city – town, such as St Dimitrios who is the patron saint of Thessaloniki and is celebrated on the 26^th of October, St Andreas who is the patron saint of Patra and is celebrated on the 30^th of November etc.