Colors of Evvoia Island - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

The first thing you should remember when spending a vacation in Evvoia – the Greeks never hurry. It is not common here to fuss and to hurry others. To enjoy every day of your life, spending it the way you want is the local motto of life. In eating and drinking places you will certainly be served not as fast as in Europe, and you won’t find any open stores during the siesta time from 1 p.m. till 4 or 5 p.m. One important thing – in many countries a nod is a sign of agreement. On the contrary, in Greece, an enthusiastic nodding with tong clicking means the other person does not agree with you.

It is common here to gesture and raise a voice during a conversation. When meeting somebody for the first time, the Greeks shake hands, but if they know each other or they are more or less close, they always kiss each other on the cheek, not minding the gender or the age. If a local person did not ask to call him by the name, it is common to address him politely by a surname. If you are lucky to join a Greek feast, you will see that the Greeks behave quite openly, not really concentrating on rules of etiquette. By the way, local people do not cut bread, but break off as much as they want. If you are invited to come in, agree, otherwise you may offend that person, doubting his hospitality.

In the evening most of the inhabitants in Evvoia go to taverns. Here they can spend time in a good company, have a meal at a reasonable price or drink some wine, listen to the folk music and watch dancers in national costumes. What more could anyone ask for? Most Greeks would say “Nothing”. People in Evvoia like money, they like to spend them, but usually don’t want to make extra efforts to increase their income. For the islanders it is better to surround themselves with luxury even if it is just for a couple of hours, then to save money, buy expensive things, and always maintain a high level of prosperity. To come to a tavern and order drinks for everyone at his own expense is more natural for a Greek then to collect paintings. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Evvoia unlike in many other touristic places, nobody will try to sell you poor quality goods, profit from you, or trick you. The Greeks are not really constant in their views and opinions, but they are honest and expect the same from you. In many taverns here, you can eat and leave, saying you will pay for your dinner tomorrow, even if you are a traveler and not a local citizen. They do not expect a trick from strangers and are friendly towards the tourists. Keep in mind, that the immigrants are not always so friendly, so you shouldn’t forget about the safety.

The Greeks value family relationships. They respect the elderly, always keeping a door for them, giving a seat at a tram, and listening to an advice. Family ties are also close. The citizens of Evvoia usually get married around their thirties, living with their parents until then. Even after a Greek left his house, he is still very close with his mother, going to help the second she asks. You can say it’s mostly matriarchy here, although Greek men, who like to give advice whenever they can, will never admit it.

Evvoia citizens, as the rest of the Greeks, are Christian. That is why all the Christian holidays are celebrated hugely here. An interesting holiday is St. John the Baptist’s Day. St. John’s remains are located in one of the temples in Prokopi city. According to the legend, John, who was a simple soldier, resisted tortures from the Turkish for many years, thanks to the power of his belief. His body had not smolder, and after being tossed in the fire, it appeared to be indifferent to a flame. The Day of this Saint is celebrated on May 26-27th. Oxi Day is hugely celebrated here on the 28th of October. This holiday is a celebration of the day, when the Ambassador of Greece refused to let Italy occupy the country without a fight. This was the day, when Greece joined World War II.