Colors of Athens - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

The local residents are distinguished by such character traits as sentiment and nervousness at the same time. In critical or responsive situations they can show tolerance and resolve any conflict with ease. There are different culture and communication in Athens. You will not find a word "ne" in any dictionary of the Greek language. Here it often means "yes", and instead of the word "no" the locals often say "oohs". The indigenous people have never been very punctual, so they can be late even for an important business meeting. Continuing the theme of the local dialect it is worth noting another word that sounds like "avrio". Literally, it is translated as "tomorrow", but in fact the word means a failure or reject.

Athenians never take their shoes off even when entering a home. They are very hospitable, but invite guests for a dinner or lunch quite rarely. The period starting from 2 to 6 p.m. is considered the time of day rest, so it would be better to refrain from phone calls on this time. You should also not call and after 10 p.m. as it will also be the sign of bad manners.

Every year on October 28 an unusual holiday is celebrated in Athens. The holiday’s name is Day of Ohi (the meaning of this word has been already mentioned). On this day Greece said "no" to occupation of Italy. So this holiday has been celebrated since the Second World War. Local residents are very funny people who like entertainments. There is simply no weekend in this city that has no folk festivals and celebrations. On Sundays main squares of Athens become the location of interesting musical and theatrical performances; during the days of national celebrations the local people carefully decorate the streets of the city with flower garlands and beautiful placards. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

While exploring the city, guests will see many teenager boys who sell newspapers and offer passers-by to clean their shoes or wash the car. The reason for this is in one of main problems of modern society – low level of income. Many families simply do not have enough money to send their children to school, so they start helping their parents from early age. If boys offer tourists to wash their cars, girls earn for living by selling pretty small bouquets of flowers and crafts. If you meet a smiling child on the street of the city, who will offer to buy a nice postcard or a bouquet of flowers, be sure to take this opportunity and reward the child.

Athens is the great city with a unique spirit that cannot be confused with any other. There is no person in the world who will not be acquainted with its numerous legends, myths, and ancient mysterious places that can be spotted all over the country. Athens is also the place where a lot of cultural festivals and celebrations organized here, are impregnated with special atmosphere and spirit of ancient Hellenic mythology.

One of the most spectacular art festivals in the summertime calendar is called the Athens Epidaurus Festival. This fest is verily called the main event of the summer. Its history starts since 1955 and possesses an important cultural status. This art festival takes place for 2-3 months and can be spotted in the largest theaters in the country: odeum of the City of Attica (constructed in the II century B.C.), on the southern slope of the Athenian agora and in theaters of the city of Epidaurus. During the Athens Epidaurus festival, the best theatrical, dance and music teams are ready to entertain its visitors with amazing performances. The ticket's price starts from €5.

You can have fun and enjoy your vacation in Athens not only during summer time but also in winter at the Dionysia wine festival. Hope you know who Dionysus is, and why this festival carries his name. Right! He is the Greek god of wine, grape harvest, ritual madness, and theater. The festival takes place in February, in the heart of Athens - the Zappeion, the building in the National Gardens of Athens. If you really enjoy wine, and love tasting new wine breeds you must come here! First of all, about 120 vintners from all over the Greece participate in this fest. They treat their visitors with the most expensive, mature and young varieties of wine. Secondly, each and one visitor will get a memorabilia wine glass and will have a chance to taste wines for free. The ticket cost from €10 and is valid for the whole time of the festival.

Looking for a gastronomical vacation? Desire to satisfy your tummy with new tastes and dishes? Immediately come here and have fun at the Athens Cheese and Food Festival. Autumn is the most pleasant time here, in Athens, to enjoy the arrival of chefs and gourmands not only from the whole country but from all over the world. This festival lasts for three days and is located in the center of Athens. The main aim of this event is to introduce people to the qualitative and most tasty kinds of cheese, to please with amazing traditional cuisine and national Greek dishes. Up to forty professional chefs will cook for you, share new recipes and display all the stages of food preparation. Here you will enjoy each and one minute, gather new knowledge and also get new skills. Sounds impressive, right?