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

The Greeks are very proud of the fact that they are heirs of the ancient Hellenes. They respect their country, despite the love of criticism of their own government and the decisions it makes. Even if a local resident curses those in power with the last words, do not agree with him. The Greeks are extremely negative about criticism towards their country from foreigners, even if they themselves were tearing state power apart several minutes ago. If you want to establish contact with a local and win him over, there is no better way than a few compliments to Greece and a reminder of some general historical events for the Greeks and the people you belong to.

The Greeks cannot be called incredibly hardworking. The main thing for them is to get pleasure from life. From 2 to 5 p.m. life freezes even in small towns of Sporades. It is siesta time. The shops are closed, the number of staff in the cafes is greatly reduced. The Greeks appreciate the time of rest. In many respects, this is due to the fact that it is not customary to strive for big money simply for the sake of owning it.

A Greek will not waste time and put extra effort wherever this can be avoided. Local people can easily leave tens of thousands of euros in a tavern for one night just for the sake of the scale of the party without any qualms. Money should bring pleasure, and therefore the locals do not aspire to the accumulation of wealth. In many ways, this is the reason for a large number of strikes, weekends, and holidays. Why work when you can rest, right? Copyright www.orangesmile.com

What is interesting, Women's Day is celebrated here not on March 8th but on January 8th. The famous Day of Solidarity of Workers on May 1st for the Greeks is the Day of Flowers, and the longest festivities here are timed to the carnival of Apocries, and they last for three weeks. Interestingly, Christmas, Easter, and other church holidays are widely celebrated here. The churches of Sporades are overcrowded on these days. For the rest of the year, many residents almost do not attend churches, although almost the entire population of the islands considers themselves Orthodox.

The Greeks love and know how to drink alcohol but they always control themselves. For the local residents, unbridled behavior is unacceptable. They treat with reproof tourists who have drunk too much and behave too noisily and inadequately. The Greeks adore dances. Kochari, sirtaki, kalamatianos, which almost everyone here can dance, are known for the whole world for a reason. In many taverns in the evening, an obligatory part of the entertainment program is the dancing of girls and boys in national costumes. They do this not only for travelers but for the local residents as well.

They most often address unfamiliar people as kyrios ("mister" in Greek) and kiriya ("Mrs."). They also address the representative of the older generation this way, showing their respect. If a Greek did not ask you to call him by his name, it is appropriate to refer to the surname. The local residents are not too punctual, so do not expect that a Greek will certainly come on time for the scheduled meeting. Close friends greet each other with hugs and kisses on the cheeks, regardless the sex. The Greeks speak emotionally, gesticulate a lot, and sometimes interrupt the interlocutor. There is no disrespect in this, it's just the accepted manner of communication.

The locals are hospitable and rather friendly. For the Greeks, personal honor was of great importance from time immemorial. And it is not completely forgotten now. It is accepted here to openly and sincerely communicate with close people, not to deceive friends and acquaintances. Most Greeks also treat travelers the same way, without trying to profit from them and counting on reciprocal honesty.