Greek Customs And Habits That Make Greeks Who They Are

If you’re traveling to Greece, you should be aware of some Greek customs and habits. Here are a few tips that will help you understand modern Greek culture.

Strange Greek habits and customs

Greek habits and customs go hand-in-hand with Greek tradition and culture! If you want to understand Greece beyond its iconic ancient sites and beautiful islands, understanding Greek customs is important. 

I’m Vanessa from Athens, and I’ve written this tongue-in-cheek article to help you understand cultural norms in Greece… because self-sarcasm is important!

So, if you want a Real Greek Experience when visiting Greece, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Greeks love breaking the law

Greek people love to break the law, wherever possible. Love it or leave it, this is something that happens a lot in Greece.

Most Greeks have, at some point in their lives, broken the law. They may have crossed the street with a red light or a STOP sign, parked illegally, built an illegal house extension, smoked inside a restaurant, failed to pay their taxes, or something else.

As an example, parking on the pavements is very common in Athens. In fact, it’s more unusual to see a sidewalk you can actually walk on – and, unfortunately, the historic city center of Athens is no excception.

This is why curfews practically don’t exist for bars, and why the anti-smoking law took several years to be taken seriously in Greece.

While some people hate this trait, others find it liberating. I have met several expats who said that they moved to Greece because things are more “relaxed” here. 

2. Greeks are loud

Greeks talk loudly and quickly, and use a lot of hand gestures. This sometimes confuses people, especially those from countries where loudness is neither expected, nor encouraged.

Very often, it looks like Greek people are arguing, but this is not necessarily the case. They may be talking about what they ate for lunch, or where they should go for a coffee.

Loudness is also expressed in Greek dancing. Traditional dances are still quite popular, even among young people. During the famous Greek festivals, panigiria, you are bound to see people dance like there is no tomorrow.

Greeks also use tons of curse words. For example, the word “Malaka” has become world-famous!

The loudness isn’t only limited to talking, but extends to many activities, such as driving in Greece. Honking is common, and drivers often honk to the car in front, a few milliseconds before the light turns green…

3. Greeks love to complain about everything

Greeks like to complain about anything and everything. Whether it’s a minor thing, or a major issue, a Greek will almost always complain.

• It’s so hot today!
• I hate this rain!
• The government sucks!
• I wish this neighbor would move out!
• This company is terrible!
• This malakas drives like crazy!

Whether any of them will also try to fix the issue, is another matter.

With that said, in recent years several civilian movements have been launched, in an effort to change society. Many of their actions are related to public space, pollution and the environment. Demonstrations and strikes are a common occurrence in Greece.

4. Strikes are common in Greece

Which brings me to the next point, and one you should be aware of.

From time to time, workers in Greece go on strike. This doesn’t really happen as frequently as some people think – but when it does, it might disrupt your vacation so you should be careful.

Among others, the Athens metro, the intercity trains, and even the Greek ferries might go on strike.

For more information, have a look at this in-depth guide about strikes in Greece. I post all strike info on my FB page, so feel free to follow!

5. Greeks believe that everything originated in Greece

When talking to a foreigner, Greeks tend to point out the words of Greek origin in a conversation. Guess what? There are LOADS of them.

Words like philosophy, photography, economy, sarcasm, problem, method, school, idea, music and many, many others, come from Ancient Greece. That’s right – our ancestors used them too! Obviously we are proud of this, and want to share it with everyone!

Here is a fun article with English words that have Greek roots. You might know a few of them, but there are many you won’t imagine came from Greek.

And don’t forget that Ancient Greeks invented philosophy. Here are 12 Greek philosophers who changed the world – Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and a few more!

6. There’s no summer like Greek summer

Like many tourists, Greeks love going to the beach in summer. In fact, for most Greek people, summer without any beach time on the islands doesn’t really feel like summer.

We love spending the whole day on the beach, with a few breaks to swim, maybe a couple of games of beach tennis, known as raketes, and a visit to the canteen or the beach bar.

Apart from the number of ice creams they eat over the summer, Greek children also keep count of how many times they go swimming. Whether you get one or two points for a second swim on the same beach on the same day, is up for debate.

If you have a summer trip to Greece planned, read my tips on visiting Greece in the summer.

7. Coffee culture in Greece – Not just Greek coffee

The Greek coffee culture is extremely important. “Let’s go for a coffee” essentially means “Let’s go and sit down for a chat for a couple of hours”.

Whether it is frappe, freddo espresso, Greek coffee or cappuccino, Greeks drink their coffee at a slow, relaxed pace – siga siga.

Here is some more information about more Greek Drinks, including a few alcoholic ones.

8. Greek cuisine is a huge part of the Greek culture

Greeks take their food VERY seriously. This is why I’ve dedicated an entire section of my blog to Greek food!

Very few (if any) Greeks will prefer any other cuisine over a home-made Greek dinner. The simplicity and diversity of Greek cuisine, make it one of the most popular cuisines in the world.