Greek daily customs

white tree

They are called "white trees" because in Crete the trunks are always painted white with thin lime. Greece was the first country to use this tactic against ants. In addition, the trees painted white look quite beautiful! Rosary beads or worry relief beads

Most Greeks sit outside kafeneion (the Greek cafe) with rosary beads in hand, but this is actually just a way to pass time and has no religious significance. Try buying a string, it's not as easy to pluck them as it seems. iron rod

The iron bars extending from the roof only indicate that they want to expand the house in the future, not to exempt it from tax because it is not yet completed. Eating alone and waiting in a Greek restaurant

Sitting alone in a restaurant without needing the service of a waiter for a long time. Eating alone in Greece is unlikely, so he/she must be waiting for someone. As a waiter, it is very vulgar and rude to order a customer before all the customers are here. Although this habit has changed in some major tourist destinations, especially for tourists, you can still see it in villages in Greece and Crete. pay cash

When Greeks go out to dinner, they always pay cash. Never use a check or a credit card! And they always bring enough money to pay for others. If you are unable to pay, you will be humiliated and despised. housing loans

Unfinished buildings are a common sight in Greece. The reason is that the Greeks only do what they need today and leave the rest for the future. The Greeks always seem to be building houses? In fact, this is the case. Most Greek parents built houses for each of their daughters, but not for their son's (they thought that his son would marry a girl in the future and get a house from that girl's parents). When parents or maternal grandparents pass away, the inheritance rights to their house are often the daughter. Greece's social protection system

Greece's social protection system IKA) has not yet been improved. If you encounter financial problems, you first rely on the family you are closest to and ask for help. They will lend you money as much as possible, and you must return the money to them to protect your face. Toilet in Greece

Some people may be surprised and others may feel disgusted by the toilets in Greece. Greeks never use public toilets, which may be one explanation for the situation in Greek toilets. A Greek would do his best to use his own toilet at all costs! So, this is mainly a problem for tourists! Greek men in the cafe

You might have this impression of Greek men: they always sit in cafes and drink. Yes, they go to cafes often, but not always, and they rarely stay there for long. All they often do is drink a cup of Greek coffee. The reason most people stay there for a while is simply to listen to current news, and of course they are there to meet local electricians or bricklayers. Greek women can also go to cafes, but most women are reluctant to go. Besides, when their husbands came home, they heard everything. About 20 years ago, no matter how small the village was, you could always find at least two of these different-colored cafes there. Color represents the political leaning of the cafe owner. In this case, you'd better avoid political arguments. As fewer and fewer people care about current affairs, such cafes are gradually decreasing, but they can still be found. theft

Theft is very rare in Greece. Stealing people's belongings or money is considered a very shameful thing, but on the other hand a little deception is okay, especially those they don't like. Greek priest

What the Greeks call priests or Pappas can be seen everywhere in Greece. They wore long, black clothes and high top hats, a scenery that was impossible to see in Greece. In fact, they were not forced to always wear their clergy uniforms, but they always did because it was the most effective and easier way to identify themselves. Greek priests could marry and have children, just as in the Lutheran Church. But you will never see a female priest. Because not only does Greece have no tradition of women as priests, but it is also not allowed by the Greek Orthodox Church. Pay for the sun bed

At most beaches you pay for a sun bed and an umbrella. If you think this is just a way for people to make money from tourists, you are wrong. Owning a beach in Greece is a job. Every year, he tries to find a special place on the beach and pays a fee for it, so as to gain the right to place his sun bed and parasol. So when the season comes, what to do with this beach is his responsibility. Fees will vary based on the location of the beach, facilities (bar, toilet, shower). Police, who specialize in serving tourists, will check whether what they are doing is appropriate and legal. GMT-Time

In Greece you use GMT-time most of the time, but here GMT-time is not an abbreviation for Greenwich Mean Time, but an abbreviation for "Greek Approximate Time." The Greeks had very different concepts of time. When the bus timetable shows the bus arrival time of 10.30, it will arrive between 10 and 11 o'clock. The time when a car arrives depends on traffic conditions, the number of passengers, how many of them are among them the driver feels the need to talk to and other small things. When a local person tells you that the bus will arrive after 4 p.m., this sentence is not very credible. The Greeks did not live by the clock, and had different concepts of morning, noon and evening. You can use "good morning" until 12:00. If she said she would meet in the afternoon, then she meant that the earliest time to meet was 6 pm! In Greece, dinner is served no earlier than 9 o'clock. And even if you call someone at 10 p.m., you don't have to think twice. However, during the "lunch break" from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., it cannot be disturbed. into Greek churches or monasteries.

If you want to visit a Greek church or monastery, you must dress appropriately. Whether it is a man or a woman, entering church with bare shoulders and knees exposed will be considered very rude, an insult to God and impiety. So as a tourist, if you don't want to be rude to this country, please keep this in mind. Invited by the Greeks

If a Greek invites you out to dinner or drink, never try to get him to "split the bill in half" as we usually do in northern Europe. I know some tourists who, out of courtesy to their hosts and thanks for the wonderful evening, will forcibly grab the bill from their hosts and pay it. The result of this is that no matter how deep the friendship between you is, it will be destroyed. The level of embarrassment to the Greeks under such circumstances is beyond your imagination! Invited to Greek homes

If you are invited to a Greek house, remember to bring something for the host. Flowers and chocolates are the most common things. If it's a Saint's Day with the same name as you, make sure you bring a gift and present it when you arrive. Your gift will be placed on the table intact with other gifts. It was the Greek custom to not open gifts until all the guests were gone. If he or she doesn't like your gift, then they don't need to pretend to be grateful to you. In fact, this is a very practical habit. tipping

Although it is stated everywhere that tips are included in the fee, you can also tip extra if you are satisfied with the service. Generally, it is about 10% of the total cost, so remember not to give too much. After reading the following short story, you will understand the reason. Some friends wanted to tip the hotel attendant who had been staying with them for two weeks, so they left 10.000 drachmark on the last night. When they had just left the front desk 10 steps away, the waiter stood in front of them and told them there was a mistake for the money, which they explained no. So the waiter followed them to the bar, where they ordered coffee, Metacse brandy, and then drank some drinks and ouzos (a Greek after-meal wine). When they called the bar waiter to check out, they found that more than 10.000 drachmarks had been paid by the waiter who had just given the tip. Men and women in Greece are legally equal in matters related to women, but women's wages are even more affordable. About 40% of Greek women are actively involved in employment. In theory, Greek women should participate in military service, but in practice they do so voluntarily, and the women seem very satisfied with it. At the time of divorce, all property is divided equally between both parties. Now Greek women can keep their maiden names after marriage. The birth rate of children in Greece is only half of what it was before World War II. The birth rate is the second lowest in Europe, and the lowest is Italy. Civil marriages have been available since 1982, but 95% of people still get married in church. Arranged marriages are prohibited by law, and paying dowry is illegal. But both still exist. The average age of Greek women is 80 years old, but the age of women that men can endure is only 75 years old!