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WORLD CULTURES & FOLK CUSTOMS - GREECE

      SIMO JELAČA, PhD

FOREWORD

This book summarizes information about culture and customs of different nations. Noticeable differences in customs are among Christian, Islamic and Buddhist’s nations, although in all prevails intention for nice and greatest.  

It will be too much to include every country, as there are similarities among many nations of the same or close nationalities. Characteristic are Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, or as well as Germany and Austria. The similar conclusion values for Latin nations, among themselves too.

Readers will find basic information about each country, such as its location and size, population and Ethnic Make-up, Religion, Climate, Language, Etiquettes and others. 

This book can equally be used for travelers, either as tourists or business people, therefore everyone will find necessary information about Etiquette of people at their homes as well as at the business.

My intention was to find as much good information as possible. How much I have succeeded readers will judge it. 

                                                                                                            Author

GREECE 

CULTURE AND FOLK CUSTOMS

Facts and Statistics

Population: 11.2 million

Capital: Athens, population 665.000

Climate: The climate in Greece is typical of the Mediterranean climate: mild and rainy winters, relatively warm and dry summers and, generally, extended periods of sunshine throughout most of the year.

Geographic Location 

Greece is located at the southeast end of Europe and it is the southernmost country of the Balkan Peninsula. 

The Minoan culture of Crete and the Cycladic culture of the Aegean islands were the first advanced cultures that settled in geographic Europe. 

Early Helladic civilization (Mycenaean) is widely considered to be the first advanced civilization of Europe since it eventually developed into Classical Greek culture. 

Classical Greek ideals were adopted by the Roman empire, thus becoming the foundation of what we recognize today as "Western Culture". 

In the north it borders Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria In the east Greece borders with Turkey (and the Aegean sea) In the south and west Greece is surrounded by the Mediterranean sea (the Ionian sea is west, and the Libyan sea to the south).

Greece Coastline: 13,676 km, Land Area: (land) 130,647 sq km, (water) 1,310 sq km (Total) 131,957 sq km.

Greece Population

Greece's population is about 11.13 million, with a slight decrease.

There has also been a continuing emigration of ethnic Greeks seeking employment and opportunity abroad since the mid-nineteenth century. This emigration was initially aimed at the eastern Mediterranean but was redirected toward the United States, Canada, and Australia by the late nineteenth century. The industrial nations of Western Europe joined the list of destinations in the 1960s.

Government Greece is a parliamentary republic.

 Linguistic Affiliation 

Greek is the official language and is spoken by nearly all the citizens. It is an Indo-European language that has been used in this area since the second millennium B.C.E. A major division exists between the ordinary spoken language known as demotic and a formal version known as katharevousa. Writers initially embraced it, although most turned back to demotic. Katharevousa was used for most state documents, in many newspapers, and in secondary school instruction until the 1970s but has been displaced by demotic Greek since that time.

Symbolism 

Several widely recognized images and celebrations invoke the identity of the republic. The country is seen as the restoration of an independent Greek civilization, and many symbols establish a strong link between past and present. The national anthem, "Hymn to Liberty," praises those who fought in the War of Independence. The flag displays a cross symbolizing the Greek Orthodox religion on a field of blue and white stripes that depict the sunlit waves of the seas that surround the nation. Statues of war heroes abound, as do the artistic motifs of antiquity and Orthodox Christianity. 

National Identity 

A strong sense of ethnic self-determination initially fueled the construction of the state, erased regional differences, and led to a citizenry largely composed of ethnic Greeks. Nation– state and ethnic groups were seen as coterminous. The national identity generally is considered a matter of cultural continuity, with language, religion, democracy, an analytic approach to life, travel, entrepreneurship, cleverness, and personal honor and responsibility as core values that connect contemporary Greeks to the past. An intense relationship to the Mediterranean landscape also plays a role. 

Ethnic Relations 

The Balkan peninsula and the Anatolian coast were multiethnic at the start of the nineteenth century. Different groups lived side by side, and there was considerable intermingling and even intermarriage. The pursuit of ethnic nationalism over the last two centuries, however, resulted in increasing ethnic separation. The establishment of ethnically based nation-states led to warfare, territorial disputes, and massive migration. Greece became increasingly monoethnic as members of certain ethnic groups left while Greeks from outside the nation entered.

The legal system is based on modified Roman law, with strong protection for the rights of the accused. 

Urbanism and Architecture

Market towns such as Corinth and Athens have endured for millennia, but smaller settlements appeared and disappeared. Over the last century, internal migration has overwhelmingly been from mountains to plains, inland to coastal areas, and rural to urban settlements. In this process, hundreds of new villages were founded while others were abandoned, and some towns and cities grew greatly while others declined.A strongly centralized settlement system revolving around the capital, Athens has emerged from these moves. Athens contained 3.1 million people, a third of the population, while the next largest city, Thessaloniki, contained 396,000.Rural settlements are still characterized by single-family houses, but urban areas contain apartment buildings of five to ten stories. Homes are considered private family spaces. 

Food in Daily Life 

Grain, grapes, and olives are central to the diet, supplemented with eggs, cheese, yogurt, fish, lamb, goat, chicken, rice, and fruits and vegetables. Certain foods are emblematic of the national identity, including moussaka, baklava, thick coffee, and wine (retsina).

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions 

Guests must always be offered refreshment, and all major ceremonies involve food. At funerals, mourners are given koliva (boiled wheat, sugar, and cinnamon), a special cake is baked on New Year's Day, and the midnight Easter service is followed by a feast, generally of lamb. 

Basic Economy 

Farming, herding, fishing, seafaring, commerce, and crafts were the historical mainstays of the economy. After the revolution, the nation was deeply in debt to foreign creditors. Families produced most of their own subsistence needs, from food to housing, while engaging in a variety of entrepreneurial activities, producing everything from sponges and currants to tobacco and cotton. Current economic efforts are focused on industrial development, effective taxation collection, downsizing of the civil service, keeping inflation in check, and resolving the national debt and dependence on European Union payments. 

Land and Property 

Through legislation that distributed large agricultural estates to peasant families, most farmland came to be owned by the people who worked it by the early twentieth century. Familial economic strategies were integrated into a market economy and subsistence activities dwindled during the twentieth century. Handmade crafts are generally aimed at the tourist trade, farming is oriented toward sale, and some basic foodstuffs are imported. The most common commercial activities are in construction, tourism, transportation, and small-scale shop keeping. Major cash crops include tobacco, cotton, sugar beets, grains, vegetables, fruits, olives, and grapes. Herders produce meat, milk products, wool, and dung for sale. Fishing contributes little to the GDP. 

Tourism

Greece is well known as a country with highly developed tourism, regarding the beautiful sea. Most Europeans go every summer to Greece and other southern countries.

 Social Welfare

There is a nationalized health care system and a state-directed system of disability and pension payments. The government also has a system of earthquake and other disaster compensation. Banks have been established to support particular sectors of the economy. Caring for the personal needs of the elderly, infirm, and orphaned is considered a family responsibility. 

Labor by Gender 

Rural men and women traditionally shared agricultural tasks, doing some jointly and dividing others by gender. Land and property have long been owned by both men and women, with husbands and wives contributing fields to the family. Gender roles were relatively differentiated and male-dominant until recently. Traditionally, men were associated with public spaces and women with private spaces, with the major exception of the role played by women in attending, cleaning, and maintaining churches. 

Marriage and Inheritance

Families are fundamental units of support and identity, and marriage is considered the normal condition of adulthood. Arranged marriages in which parents negotiated spouses, dowries, and inheritance for their children were once common but have declined. Equal inheritance is the norm by both law and custom. Sons and daughters receive roughly equivalent shares of their parents' wealth in the form of fields, housing, money, higher education, and household effects. Daughters generally received their portion at marriage, but the Family Law of 1983 made the formal institution of the dowry illegal. However, there continues to be considerable transfer of property from parents to children when the children marry.

Infant Care and Education 

Most babies are now born in hospitals. Babies are showered with overt displays of affection by male and female relatives. There is special concern over feeding and a belief that children need to be coaxed into eating. The central ceremony of infancy is baptism, which ideally occurs between forty days and a year after birth. This ceremony initiates the baby into the Orthodox community and is the moment at which a baby's name is officially conferred. 

Parents willingly sacrifice for their children. Both parents are actively involved in child rearing, along with grandparents and other relatives. Parents also stress the value of education. Schooling is compulsory and free for the first nine years and optional and free for the next three. Over 90 percent of students attend public schools.

Higher education is strongly valued. There is a state run university, technical, and vocational school system whose capacity is short of demand.

Etiquette 

Much social life takes place within a close circle of family and friends. Group activities revolve around eating, drinking, playing games, listening to music, dancing, and animated debate and conversation. These gatherings often aim at the achievement of kefi. Hospitality is seen as both a pleasure and a responsibility. Hosts are generous, and guests are expected to accept what is offered with only token protests.

Religious Beliefs 

Close to 98 percent of the people are Orthodox Christians, just over 1 percent are Muslims, and there are small numbers of Jews, Seventh Day Adventists, Roman Catholics, and members of Protestant denominations. The Orthodox Church of Greece is overseen by the Holy Synod, whose president is the archbishop of Athens. Orthodoxy includes a series of daily, weekly, and annual rites, including the Sunday liturgy and the Twelve Great Feasts. Larger Orthodox churches are often constructed in a cross in-square configuration. In Orthodox belief, at the time of death, a person's soul begins a journey toward judgment by God.

Medicine and Health Care 

The state-run National Health Service, a network of hospitals, clinics, and insurance organizations, was established in 1983. The service provides basic health care even in remote areas, but there is an over concentration of hospital facilities, doctors, and nurses in Athens and other major cities. Private health care facilities are used by those who can afford them. 

Arts 

The Ministry of Culture supports all the arts in terms of production, education, publicity, festivals, and national centers, such as the Greek Film Center. There are provincial and municipal theaters, folklore institutes, orchestras, conservatories, dance centers, art workshops, and literary groups. 

Poets and novelists have brought contemporary national themes into alignment with the major movements in Western literature. There have been two Greek Nobel laureates: George Seferis and Odysseas Elytis.

Music and dance are major forms of group and self-expression. Greek styles of music, dance, and instrumentation have not been displaced by the popularity of Western European and American music.

The Physical and Social Sciences 

The University of Athens was established in 1837, with faculties in theology, law, medicine, and the arts (which included applied sciences and mathematics). The national system has expanded to nearly twenty public universities and technical schools that offer a full range of academic and applied subjects. There are several state-funded research centers, such as the National Centre for Scientific Research, the National Centre for Social Research, and the Center for Programming and Economic Research. 

Meeting Etiquette

. Greeks are warm and hospitable.

. When meeting someone for the first time, they shake hands firmly, smile, and maintain direct eye contact. 

. Good friends often embrace; they may also kiss each other on each cheek. Male friends often slap each other's arm at the shoulder. 

Gift Giving Etiquette

. In general, Greeks exchange gifts with family and friends for 'name days' (birth date of the saint after whom they are named) and Christmas. 

. Some Greeks celebrate birthdays, but in general, celebrating name days is more likely

. Gifts need not be expensive. Since gifts are generally reciprocated, giving something of great value could put a burden on the recipient since they would feel obligated to give you something of equivalent value.

. When invited to dinner at a Greek home, bring something small.

. A floral arrangement may be sent in advance of the actual event.

. Gifts should be wrapped.

. Gifts are usually opened when received. 

Dining Etiquette

If you are invited to a Greek  home:

. Arriving 30 minutes late is considered punctual! 

. Dress well. This demonstrates respect for your hosts. 

. Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. Your offer may not be accepted, but it will be appreciated. 

. Expect to be treated like royalty! 

. Compliment the house. 

Table manners

. Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown a particular seat. 

. Table manners are Continental -- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating. 

. The oldest person is generally served first.

 . Do not begin eating until the hostess starts. 

. Keep your elbows off the table and your hands above the table when eating. 

.  Accepting a second helping compliments the host. 

. Expect a great deal of discussion. Meals are a time for socializing. 

. It is considered polite to soak up gravy or sauce with a piece of bread.

 . People often share food from their plate. 

. Finish everything on your plate. 

. Put your napkin next to your plate when you have finished eating.

. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles facing to the right.

. The host gives the first toast.

 . An honored guest should return the toast later in the meal.

 . The most common toast is "to your health", which is "stinygiasou" in informal situations and "eis igían sas" at formal functions.

Relationships & Communication

. Relationships are the linchpin of business dealings since Greeks prefer to do business with those they know and trust.

. They maintain an intricate web of family and friends to call upon for business assistance since they can be confident of their trustworthiness.

. Nepotism is not viewed negatively and it is very common for relatives to work for the same company.

. Greeks prefer face-to-face meetings rather than doing business by telephone or in writing, which are seen as too impersonal. 

. It takes time to develop relationships: this can be done in the office, over extended lunches, dinners, and social outings. 

. Never say or do anything that can be construed as challenging the honor or integrity of a business colleague.

.  Under no circumstances should you publicly question someone's statements. 

. Greeks do not like people who are pretentious or standoffish..  Although business is relaxed, it is also serious. Acting informal before a relationship has developed is considered discourteous. 

. If your Greek business colleagues become quiet and withdrawn, you may have said or done something to upset them. 

Business Meeting Etiquette

. Appointments are necessary and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance, although it is often possible to schedule them on short notice.

 . Confirm meetings one day in advance by telephone. 

. Many businesspeople eat lunch between 1 and 3 p.m., so this is not the optimal time for a meeting.

. Quite often it is not until the third meeting that business is actually conducted. During the first meeting your Greek business colleagues will want to get to know something about you as a person. The second meeting is used to develop trust and mutual respect. By the third meeting, business may begin. 

. Have printed material available in both English and Greek.

. Meetings are often interrupted. Several people may speak at the same time.

. Greeks will deviate from agendas. They view agendas as starting points for discussions and will then follow the discussion to the next logical place.

. Although some business people speak English, it is a good idea to hire an interpreter. 

Business Negotiation

. Forming a personal relationship is critical to developing a successful business relationship.

 . Companies are hierarchical. Greeks respect age and position.

. Business is conducted slowly. You will have to be patient and not appear ruffled. 

. Demonstrate how your product or service enhances your colleague's reputation. 

. Do not lose your temper or appear irritated during business discussions. 

. Greeks are skilled negotiators. They quite enjoy haggling.

 . Decision making is held at the top of the company.

 . Imposing a deadline on reaching a decision may end the negotiations. 

. Contracts are often quite simple since the personal relationship dictates that accommodations will be made on either side should the need arise. 

Business Dress

. Business dress is as in most of Europe. 

. Men should wear dark coloured, conservative business suits. 

. Women should wear either business suits or tasteful dresses, preferably in dark or subtle colors.

 Business Cards

. Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual. 

. Have one side of your business card translated into Greek.

. Present your card so the Greek side faces the recipient.                                                                                                                                                     To be continued          

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