Greece is a multi-cultural country of great and diverse interests. It has been influenced by its location at the confluence of the East and the West and by the continual occupation of Greece and its people from the Romans until its independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 19th Century.

Greeks are particularly proud of their culture; they speak of their country with intense passion, expressing the feeling that Greek culture is a definition of their national and ethnic belonging. Wonderful regional traditions, religion, music, language, food and wine, are the major composites of the culture in mainland Greece and of the Greek islands creating an incomparable cultural base for everyone wishing to visit and understand contemporary Greece.

Greek Culture: Aspects of the culture in Greece

Below we propose inspiring cultural activities and provide information on the main aspects of the Greek culture today; regional traditions, religion, music, language, food and wine, and on many more.

Greek Language:

Since language constitutes one of the most important elements of Greek culture and its best transmitter, it is interesting to see, in brief, how the Greeks speak today, how the Ancient Greek language became the modern one known today.

Here is a brief history of the Greek language to help us understand its changes and its evolution. Modern Greek is a descendant of the Ancient language and is affiliated to the part of the Greek or Hellenic branch of Indo-European.

The First written language:

The first written Greek letters were found on baked mud tablets, in the remains of the Minoan Knossos Palace of Crete island. This language is known as Linear A and it has not been fully decoded till today. The most famous example of Linear A is written in the famous Phaistos Disc. In the 12th century BC, a new language started to develop, called Linear B, where each drawing symbol is a consonant-vowel combination. Linear B dates from the Mycenaean civilization. In the late 9th and early 8th century BC, the language found was based on the Phoenician syllabary, written from left to right and back again. This form of the inscription is the closest to the modern language of today.

A brief History of Greece & the islands:

Greece is a country with a very rich history and the homeland of many famous personalities throughout the centuries.
This section proposes information about the history of Greece (from Stone and Bronze age to the Twentieth century), but also information about historical facts: famous personalities of ancient Greece, archaeological sites, historical monuments, and more.

Geography of Greece:

Greece is a peninsular and mountainous country located in Southern-Eastern Europe, in the Balkans peninsula, and has a land area of 128,900 km2 (49,769 sq. miles).
The country has the largest coastline in Europe (13,676km) due to its numerous islands. Greece has a total of 2,000 Greek islands but only 168 are inhabited.
The country is washed to the east by the Aegean Sea, to the west by the Ionian and the south by the Mediterranean Sea.

Population:

Greece population is estimated at 10,7 million people in 2020.
In terms of total world population, it represents 0.13% and it is ranked at number 87 of all countries.
The density of Greek population is 81 per km2 (209 people per mi2).
84% of its population leaves in the cities.

Natural Ressources:

The country is very rich in natural resources providing petroleum, magnetite, lignite, bauxite, hydropower, and marble.

The geographical position of Greece has marked the development of many civilizations throughout the ages.
The special features of the geography of Greece have formed an equally special natural environment.
Greece has a rich diversity in flora and fauna and many species are original in this country, which means that they are found only there in the world.
These rare species are found in forests, lakes, rivers.
The limestone and the volcanoes have composited the Greek territory and allowed the formation of many caves and canyons.

Traditions in Greece & the islands:

Customs and traditions in Greece and the Greek Islands are an important aspect of the culture. There are either of a religious character or coming from paganism. Furthermore, most of the traditions and festivals still celebrated today are religious.

The Greeks are very superstitious and believe a lot in religion but also in supernatural or paranormal phenomenon. Traditions and superstitions vary from island to island, from villages to villages and from region to region.

You will find below the many Greek traditions still honored in Greek modern culture, no matter people's age, until today.
After reading about the traditions, get also informed about the Greek language.

Name day celebration:

Most Greeks are named after a religious saint. A very important tradition is that everyone who has a name coming from a saint celebrated by the church celebrates his name on a given day of the year. On the "name day" of someone, his friends and family visit him without invitation and offer wishes and small presents. The hostess of the house offers pastries, sweets and hors d'oeuvres to the guests. In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays.

Greek Independence Day:

The Greek Independence Day is celebrating the declaration of the Independence War against the Ottomans on March 25th, 1821. Apart from a national celebration, this day is also a religious celebration dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.

Religion in Greece & the islands:

The religion of Greek people is an important aspect of their culture. The population in mainland Greece and the Greek islands is Christian Orthodox per 90%. The religion of the rest of the population is Muslims, Catholic, Jewish and other minorities. Greece and Russia are the only countries to have such a great proportion of the Orthodox population.

The Orthodox Church forms the third largest branch of Christianity, after the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. You will find below information about the history of Orthodox religion in Greece: the founders of the orthodox church, the Schism, the connection with the Greek nation, the separation with the state and other religions in Greece.

Orthodox Church and the Greek Nation;

The Orthodox Church is strongly connected to the Greek Nation since the Byzantine times when the Patriarch of Constantinople had a strong power over the national matters. During the Ottoman rule, from 1453 to 1821, the Orthodox religion was an important element for the conservation and the definition of the Greek Nationality. During the several occupations, the Orthodox Church made a great effort to preserve the Greek language, culture, traditions, and the Orthodox faith. They managed to preserve the religious conscience and the feeling of affiliation.

Other religions in Greece:

As mentioned, 90% of the Greek population is Christian Orthodox. A percentage of less of 1% are Greek citizens of the Muslim religion, most people living in Thrace who were not affected by the population exchange of 1922 between the Greeks of Asia Minor and the Turks of Greece. The rest are Catholics (less than 1%), Jewish (7,500 people), Jehovah's Witnesses, and others. Many Catholics live on the island of Syros and other islands the Cyclades, remain from the Venetian occupation in the Medieval times.

Greece Music:

Music in Greece is of unbelievable diversity due to the creative Greek assimilation of different influences of the Eastern and Western cultures of Asia and Europe. Music is an important aspect of the daily culture of the country It has a long history dating from Antiquity, during which poetry, dancing, and music were inseparable and played an important part in ancient Greek's everyday life. The Greek tragedy used music as one of its component elements.

Then, with the fall of Ancient Greece and the evolution of the Byzantine Empire, Greece music got a more ecclesiastical approach. In the 400 years of Ottoman domination, it was influenced by eastern sounds. It got reborn only in the 19th century with the opera compositions of Nikolaos Mantzaros (1795-1872) and Spyros Samaras (1861-1917).

From that moment on, Greece produced many talented artists, including great composers to fabulous interprets. Music in Greece became an expression and a testimony of the slavery years, a weapon of opposition against the colonel's authority and a way to express love, death, human fears, that accompanied the Greeks in their everyday life.

Greek Food and Wines:

Greek food and wine are an important aspect of the culture of Greece. Greek food and wines are famous for their good quality and amazing taste. Some dishes are common all around the country, whereas some others are local culinary specialties and can be found only in a specific region or island. While you are on holiday in Greece, do not miss the chance to try the local Greek dishes in the many restaurants. There are such traditional taverns in almost every corner of the country.

You will find below information about the greek food and gastronomical specialties (mezedes, salads, main dishes, soups), herbs and spice and wines and alcohol beverages.

Products of Greece:

Greece and the Greek Islands are worldwide known for the many tasty and lovely traditional products.
You can find those Greek products in the little markets, villages and the beautiful islands of Greece.

Here is a list of some of the many local products of Greece that visitors can find, buy and bring back home.

Olives & Olive Oil:

The Greek olive and its virgin oil are considered as one of the best in the world. It is the basis of the Greek and Mediterranean diet.
It is a healthy product and medical researches has proved that it is one of the reasons that people of Crete and Ikaria live longer.
Olive and olive oil is produced all over Greece.

Museums in Greece & the islands