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Guide To Greece : Greek Traditions And Culture
This part of our guide to holidays in Greece covers the culture of the country...
Greece is a country of a great interests and diverse cultures, influenced by its location, at the junction between the East and the West, and by the many occupations endured by the Greek people throughout history. Their people are particularly proud of their culture and country and speak of it with an intense passion.
Greek, which has its own alphabet, is the sole official national language and is the native tongue of the great majority of the population. However, English-speaking visitors will rarely encounter any significant language problems as English is the most widely studied and understood foreign languages. (French, Italian, and German are also relatively widely studied).
In fact, 1 million residents there (equivalent to 10% of the population) are foreign-born (mainly from Eastern and Central Europe, Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa); which has contributed to not only language diversity, but also to the Greek cultural landscape in general.
A very religious country, 97% of the population class themselves as Christian Orthodox. Officially, and like in all European countries, the Greek State and the Orthodox Church are separated, but this separation is not written or regulated by the Constitution and the Greek Orthodox Church has a great power in Greek society.
They can also be said to be of a superstitious nature and to have beliefs in supernatural or paranormal phenomenon. Traditions and superstitions vary from village to village and from region to region, but common ones include spitting to chase the devil and misfortune away and blessing bread by making the sign of the cross with a knife before slicing it.
In Orthodox tradition, Easter is the most important holiday. It involves religious processions and costumed parties, and Easter Sunday is marked with a feast. But Christmas tends to be more private, a family holiday, even though public places across Greece are adorned with lights and decorations. Many towns and districts also have regional festivals at various times of the year that mark local patron saints, wine harvests or historical events.
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