29 most interesting facts about Greece

Greece

29 most interesting facts about Greece

I’ve been living in Greece for over 8 years now. During this time I’ve come to know Greek people and culture quite well. Here is a list of interesting facts about Greece, for everyone who is interested in learning more about this amazing country or simply looking for some fun facts before your next holiday. For people who already been to Greece, or know a little about this country, some of them will probably be known. However, I hope that everyone will find at least a few surprises here.

Thousands of Islands

Greece except the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula is partially made of 114 large islands and several thousand small islets. It is difficult to give their exact number, because it depends on the adopted definition (whether it is an island or a rock), so various sources state from 1,200 to 6,000. Usually, the figure is around 2,000, of which 227 are inhabited (but only 78 have more than 100 permanent residents).

The length of the coast

It should probably come as no surprise that with several thousand islands, the entire coastline of Greece has nearly 14,000 km in length (of which almost 11 thousand are on the islands). This makes it the longest coastline in Europe and the tenth in the world. This means that when you’re in Greece, you’re never too far from the sea as the greatest distance on land from the coast is only 140 km.

Sea fleet

The carrying capacity (and value) of the merchant fleet (334 million DWT) ranks Greece first in the world, and in terms of the number of ships (over 5,200 units) – Greece is fourth. 19% of the world’s merchant fleet belongs to Greek shipowners. Many foreign shipowners fly the Greek flag (as it is considered “cheap” due to low registration fees). The Greek fishing fleet is dominant in the Mediterranean Sea among EU countries, but in terms of the number of fish caught, it ranks 11th in the entire Union. The Greek fleet is one of the youngest and safest in the world.

Mountains and volcanoes

Over 80% of the country’s area is covered by mountains, often over 2,000 meters high. The highest peak is Mitikas – 2,917 m above sea level, lying in the vast massif of Olympus. Greece has two active volcanoes – Kameni on the island of Thira (Santorini) and Stefanos on the island of Nisyros (hydrothermal) – you can climb both of them. What unique about Greek mountains is its proximity to the sea – often it is only a few kilometers away. So tourists can ski from Parnassus (2,457m) and swim in the warm waters of the Corinthian Gulf on the same day.

Marble

Speaking of mountains … and rocks – Greece is one of the world’s largest producers of marble (9% of global production). And it is a marble of high quality and in various colours. A large part is exported, but a lot remains – it is the most popular finishing material in construction – marble stairs, floors, walls and railings are on the agenda – not only in public buildings or hotels, but also quite often in ordinary homes.

Sunny holiday

If you want be sure that you’re going to have beautiful weather during your vacation, the safest thing to do, is to go to Greece. It has been calculated that there are 250 sunny days in Homer’s homeland throughout the year. Thanks to this, Greece is the sunniest country in Europe and in this regard it is also at the forefront of the world. The tourist season here lasts from April to October, and you can swim in the sea from mid-May until the very end of the season.

A paradise for tourists

I mean… The long tourist season, beautiful sea and numerous monuments simply encourage you to spend your holidays here. According to official data, almost 30 million tourists from all over the world visited Greece in 2016. Therefore, it is the only country in the world (apart from tiny states / principalities) where the number of tourists annually is almost three times greater than the number of its inhabitants (approx. 11 million). Income from tourism accounts for as much as 20% of Greece’s GDP and thus is statistically the highest among all developed countries.

International airports

Such “invasion” of tourists would not be possible without an appropriate transport base. There are 45 domestic airports in Greece (meeting international standards), including 29 with a border crossing. The largest airport is a modern airport in Athens of intercontinental importance. But an important role is also played by small ports, which are actually military airports, and only during the season they additionally handle tourist traffic.

Archaeological Museums

Greece has the most archaeological museums in the world. Given the country’s rich history and culture, this should come as no surprise. The most popular is the modern New Acropolis Museum in Athens. It has won several awards, and set a record of visits in the first two months of its operation – it was visited by over half a million people from 180 countries. There are smaller or larger archaeological museums in the capital of each island and in many other towns close to the excavation site. In Heraklion, Crete, recently renovated Archaeological Museum might be worth seeing.

Hell on the roads

While in many ways tourists in Greece can feel like in paradise, this does not apply to Greek roads. Especially in the centres of big cities. There is an absolute chaos on the roads – drivers often go “by feel” without bothering about who has priority. Driving the wrong way or stopping in the middle of the road on hazard lights to buy something is not uncommon. On a crossing with the traffic lights in Athens, crowds of pedestrians passed, regardless of the colour of the light, squeezing between the cars. On the other hand, the Greeks are excellent drivers – what they do driving big coaches on narrow streets, often very steep – is a championship. Narrow roads and the need to leave space for coaches require some serious parking skills. From my own experience, I do not recommend tourists driving their car in crowded centers or on the islands (a moped might be a better idea).

Greek language

The Greek language, which boasts 4,000 years of oral history and 3,000 years of written history, is the oldest language still in use in Europe. The language of the Greeks had a great influence on the formation of Latin, especially in the fields of science, philosophy and art. It was similar later with other languages – a large part of the vocabulary of Spanish or English are words of Greek origin. I didn’t realize how many Polish words have their origins in Greece until I started learning Greek.

Knowledge of English

Since Greek is not an easy language, you can communicate almost everywhere in English without any problems. Greeks love to speak English, but it doesn’t mean that they speak well, often using strange phrases, which makes them really hard to understand sometimes.

Ella, ella!

This is one of the most frequently heard words in Greece – whether on the street or during a phone call (Greeks usually answer the phone with the word ella followed by name – but only if a friend is calling). The exact translation (the imperative form of the verb to come, come!) does not fully reflect its meaning. It’s a very universal word, you can use is as “hello”, “come here”, “come on!”, “I’m sorry?” (when you did not hear something). Difficult to translate, used in everyday language, a word related to movement, action or broadly understood action.

Malaka

On the other hand, malaka is certainly one of the most frequently used profanities by Greeks. You can hear it almost everywhere, especially among young people. What does it mean? The official version says – “asshole”, in reality it is much more intense. This is how the young generation, especially men, address themselves. This phrase entered everyday, completely friendly dialogues, constituting as kind of “comma” or “exclamation point”, similar to the English word bi..ch. However, when used by a stranger, it becomes the most offensive word that can be said to a Greek.

Moutza

Speaking of insults – one of the most insulting gestures in Greece is the so-called moutza – which is an extended hand with widely spread fingers. The Greeks are known as an impulsive nation that expresses its emotions loudly and openly – this is how they express the most negative. In order to increase the power of the message, sometimes both hands are stretched out instead of one. It is, in a way, the equivalent of the middle finger. Tourists from outside of Greece use a very similar gesture as a long distance greeting, so you wanna be careful with that in Greece.

Greek numbers

Greeks like everyone else use Arabic numbers. But they don’t use Roman numbers, for example like Polish people, to number school classes (class III), kings (Charles IV) or wars (World War II). In such situations, they use their own numerical system, based on the letters of the alphabet which is two and a half thousand years old.

Names

According to centuries-old tradition, during a baptism a child can only be given the name that a saint in the Orthodox Church bore, however the exceptions to this rule can be seen, especially in recent years, where the Pope agrees to give a name that is not “holy” (provided that the middle name is). The parents then choose an ancient Greek or even mythological name (Dionysus, Socrates, Athena, etc.) or (the more modern ones) American. Another Greek tradition is that you name a baby after grandparents, then there is no choice – if the grandmother was Athena, the granddaughter would also be Athena. But this tradition is also slowly being abandoned – parents want to be more modern and give their children unique names. Another tradition is celebrating name days, not birthdays. The person celebrating is visited that day by family and friends (even those who are not very close), who do not need to be invited before.

Fun fact: When our daughter was born we didn’t want to name her after her grandmothers for many reasons. We wanted something unique, strong and ancient. So we looked at the names of Greek Gods, and that’s how we chose the name for her.

When it was time to babtise her we didn’t have any problems whatsoever even though she doesn’t have a second name and the first is not considered holy.

Can you guess the name?

Dances

Speaking of celebrating, singing and dancing are a frequent element of the celebration. Greeks absolutely love to dancing, they willingly get up and dance – regardless of their age, skills, etc. They love to have fun and dance at any occasion. While the style of dancing vary from region to region, there are a few that are danced almost everywhere. The best known among tourists is Sirtaki (or Syrtaki) – the popular “Zorba Dance”. It is very different from most others that are danced in a circle while holding hands. Here a few men (usually) dance in one line, placing their hands on the neighbour’s shoulders. And instead of jumping up, they “shuffle” with their feet. It is not an old, traditional Greek dance – Anthony Quinn, who played the title role in the movie “The Greek Zorba”, broke his leg a few days earlier on the set and this was the only way he could “dance” :). Another unusual dance is zeibekiko originating from Cyprus – it is danced (celebrated) by one person (mainly a man), with a lot of improvisation.

Coffee, tea, cigarettes...

Greeks passionately drink coffee “Greek coffee” (in many countries known as “Turkish”), multiple times throughout a day, from very small,cute cups. Slowly … Extremely popular, mainly among young Greeks and foreign tourists, is the frappé – iced coffee – a relatively new Greek “invention”. And the tea? They drink very rarely, usually only when they are sick (or feel this way), treating it like another medicine, herbs.

They also smoke cigarettes, not bothering themselves with the EU’s smoking bans in public places (although the situation in recent years is improving, and many places is actually enforcing the rules of not smoking).

For breakfast, lunch and dinner...

Greek breakfast consists of coffee and a cigarette, then only snacks during the day. Only dinner, or half-board, is the main and the most abundant meal. Celebrated for many hours with family or friends. Greeks eat a lot meat – they do not accept vegan or vegetarian diets, and they eat bread with many dishes (even with potatoes or spaghetti). Eating some dishes (including salads) from a shared plate is a deeply entrenched tradition. putting for example, “Greek salad” or tzatziki on your own plate, might be considered a faux pas in the understanding of the Greeks.

Greek salad

Since I mentioned “Greek salad”… Greeks don’t know anything like that. I mean: they don’t know that name. And if they do, they have heard it from tourists. They call it choriatiki or “country salad”. And it does not contain any lettuce – only roughly chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, red onions (thinly sliced), black olives and a slice of feta cheese (sometimes even green peppers). It’s all seasoned with olive oil, oregano and pepper.

Siesta

Traditionally, in Greece, as in other Mediterranean countries, SJESTA applies in the early afternoon hours of the summer season (April-September). This is a three-hour break to rest and nap, usually between 2:30 PM and 5:30 PM. Traffic on the streets stops at this time, and most institutions and shops are closed. Since sjesta is treated as seriously as the curfew, its extreme violation (e.g. bothersome, prolonged noises) may end with a visit from a policeman.

Election obligation

In Greece, voting is not only a privilege but also a constitutional obligation for every adult citizen. Non-participation in voting may result in administrative sanctions, such as refusal to issue a passport, etc. The biggest inconvenience is the necessity to participate in elections at your place of birth, but travel costs are reimbursed by political parties.

Toilet paper

It may seem ridiculous, but in most restrooms, whether in historic buildings or in hotels, there are signs or inscriptions telling you to throw the used toilet paper in the bin and not the toilet bowl. Apparently, the sewage pipes with small cross-sections were to blame for it, but now it is probably a habit … You can imagine how uncomfortable it is and, above all, how it stinks from such baskets. Many tourists don’t obey this rule, as well as some Greeks I spoke to about it.

Olympic Games

Probably most people know that Greece is the cradle of the Olympic Games. The first documented mention of the Games, from 776 B.C.E., can be found in Homer’s Illiad. This date is considered to be the creation of the Olympic Games. But not everyone knows that after 15 centuries without Games in 1896, the First Olympic Games of the Modern Era took place in Athens. The national team of Greece won as many as 46 medals. After another hundred years (1996), Greeks were hoping that they could organise the jubilee “Olympics” – but the Americans were ahead of them. The former Greek Minister of Culture then stated that “Coca-Cola has won over the Parthenon.”

Santa Claus

I think more people would be able to tell me where Santa “lives” rather than where he comes from. A chubby figure, with a thick gray beard, in red clothes with a sack of gifts on his shoulder, is a product of contemporary pop culture. The real Saint Nicholas, however, comes from Greece – he lived at the turn of the 3rd and 4th centuries and was the bishop of Mira, a city in Turkey today. Before he became a saint, Bishop Nikolas became famous for helping the poor and needy, and it was around his generosity that the legend of today’s Santa Claus, who generously gives gifts, was born.

The lepers' island

Spinalonga, a small island off the coast of Crete, was the last leper colony in Europe. In the years 1903–1957, leprosy patients were transported there, and they were provided with social and medical care. The Orthodox priest, the last resident of Spinalonga, left the island in 1962, five years after the death of the last sick person. And it was not accidental – according to the Orthodox tradition, the memory of the deceased is honoured on the 9th and 40th days after death, after half a year, then after a year, three and finally five years. Today, the “leper island” is a popular attraction among tourists visiting Crete – in the season, boats from Elounda to Spinalonga depart every half hour.

Spitting and evil eye

In Greece, it is believed that spitting chases away evil spirits and misfortune. Three spits after hearing some tragic news are to prevent the further spread of bad events. Fortunately, such superstitious spitting in practice is only symbolic – the sound of “ftu, ftu” replaces the actual spitting. Spitting on a person is also very popular – it is supposed to protect them from the envious “evil eye”, called by the Greeks “mati” . Greeks believe that if someone is in pain or feels bad, it means that someone has given him a so-called Evil eye. You can get it even from a stranger who looked at you enviously or jealously, ie. on the street. Old Greek women have their own potions to fight the evil eye. The funny thing is, the Greeks take these superstitions very seriously.

So if you’re not feeling quite like yourself, one phone call to a Greek grandmother, and she’ll make sure to fix you all up.

Unemployment

Greece boasts an infamous record in the European Union – it has the highest unemployment rate among all member countries, as well as among all developed countries in the world. It is now 17%, and it reached a maximum of 27% a few years ago – it has decreased not so much due to the creation of new jobs, but due to the emigration of Greeks. The unemployment rate among young people is even higher – over 38%. As a reminder, the average unemployment in the EU is around 11.5%. These values are the result of the financial crisis that has prevailed in Greece for nearly 10 years. Due to such high unemployment, almost half of Greek households are able to survive only thanks to their grandparents’ pensions (which, although gradually lowered, are still high in Greece).

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Alex Boska

06/10/2024