Top 10 most interesting facts about Greece

Most of us know that Greece is a kind of cradle of European civilization. It is here that the conditional border between Europe and Asia is outlined, and also the beginning of such important concepts as culture, democracy and European values.

In this country, everywhere “smells” of a rich history, and under each stone you can find a beautiful legend dating back to antiquity. It is this (as well as the amazing climate, delicious food, many holy places, etc.) that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.

Although, of course, the popularity of the country is explained not only by its historical heritage, but also by picturesque beaches, fascinating mountain routes and luxurious hotels.

We present you a list of 10 interesting facts about Greece for children, students in grade 3: Ancient Hellas, its history and traditions.

10 The Greeks call the country “Hellas”

Greek republic – the correct name of the country, which we used to call simply “Greece”. In addition, this state has its own German name, inherited from the Romans: Great Greece (originally it was the name given by the Romans to the Greek colony of Graia). The term Greece and the Greeks comes from this name. The Greeks themselves call themselves Hellenes, and their country Hellas.

9. Considered the cradle of Western civilization

Athens is considered not only one of the most beautiful and ancient cities in Europe, but also the cradle of the very concept of “democracy”. It was here that equality was born, and the political struggle acquired a rival character. The most important discoveries in the field of mathematics, physics, astronomy, literature and philosophy were made by the Greek sages and philosophers..

8. The unofficial national drink is coffee.

In Greece, everyone drinks coffee, so it is sold everywhere. By the way, the Greeks invented the Frappuccino. If a foreign tourist asks in a coffee shop: “What is a frapuccino?, then they will definitely get angry. There is also Greek coffee, which is not like Turkish or Arabic.

In fact, in Greece it is also a social drink. Greeks get together to “drink coffee” and coffee is synonymous with having a good time together, so here they drink it slowly and walk around the city with it.

7. Respect for elders

In Greece, you will not see a single nursing home. The very idea of ​​creating such an institution for the Greeks may seem blasphemous. Elderly family members live in the area with their children or grandchildren, often forming a large, noisy family with deep respect for family hierarchy and traditions.

Respect for elders is instilled here from birth, so here you will not see a rude or indifferent attitude towards older people. So, having come to visit a Greek family, the guest must show respect to its oldest members. Thus, he will earn the favor of all household members.

Interesting fact: Greece ranks 26th in the world in terms of life expectancy. Here, the figure for women is 82 years, and for men – 77.

6. Greece has over 2000 islands and a large number of mountains.

Greece is one of the most island-rich countries in Europe – more than 3 islands belong to Hellas. Kos, Santorini, Crete and Rhodes are perhaps the most popular Greek islands.

Greece is known for its many beautiful islands, but more than two-thirds of the country is mountains! Olympus (according to local mythology, the place where the gods live) is the highest mountain in Greece.

5. Sirtaki

Who does not know the famous Sirtaki melody from the film by Alexis Sobrash. It seemed to most people that this was the most traditional Greek dance. However, this is not quite true. “Sirtaki” was specially designed for the film and is designed for lead actor Anthony Quinn (allegedly to make his performance easier).

Nevertheless, the sirtak dance has rather traditional greek roots – it goes back to the sirto dances that are danced on all the greek islands and partly also on the mainland of greece. Sirtaki is also a linguistic miniature form of Sirtos.

In addition to Sirtaki, there are officially over 4 different dances in Greece, with each region developing its own dance culture reflecting regional traditions.

4. 15 – 20% of the country’s GDP comes from tourism

Greece is rightfully considered one of the most visited tourist countries in the world.. Every year, 16,5 million people from all over the world come to visit this beautiful country with a wonderful climate, hospitable local population and rich history. Despite this figure, tourism revenues in Greece account for just over 16% of the state’s total GDP.

Interesting fact: Greece has the largest number of airports in comparison with other countries in the world.

3. healthy greek food

Quality olive oil, rich selection of fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and amazing seafood. So wonderful and healthy local cuisine.

Scientists claim that people living in the Mediterranean region live longer than others and have better health. For example, there is a much lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in comparison with residents of other European countries.

In addition, even for vegans, there is a good selection of products called nistisimo. The question of vegan products in a supermarket or food in a restaurant is basically reduced to nothing, since the products declared by nistisimo are almost all vegan.

During the 40-day fast, Orthodox Greeks consume only those foods that do not contain any animal products, i.e. milk, butter, cheese, meat and olive oil (only seafood is allowed at this time).

2. Greek is one of the oldest

The Greek language is very rich and has very ancient roots.. Many of the words familiar to everyone, which seem to us to be primordially Russian, are actually of Greek origin. Although many of us are not even aware of it.

In this country, the native language (as in all countries with their own language and alphabet) is a matter of national pride. However, despite this, almost everyone here speaks English, this applies to people of both the older generation and young people. According to statistics, 51% of the Greek population speaks English. First of all, this is due to the influence that England had on the politics of modern Greece, and today in this country the tradition of the widespread study of the English language is strongly supported.

1. Orthodoxy is the leading religion of the country

A birthday in Greece isn’t much of an occasion for a party – instead, it’s the name day. Why? About 97% of Greeks belong to the Greek Orthodox Church.

Most of the names here are given in honor of some Christian saint, whose days of death are celebrated by the Greeks as days of remembrance. At the same time, everyone who bears the name of the saint celebrates this day.

In the east of Chalkidiki is Mount Athos, an independent monastic republic under Greek sovereignty.

By the way, 20 of the monasteries in the monastic republic of Athos have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Thousands of Orthodox pilgrims from all over the world come here every year. However, there is one caveat, only men have access to this small republic, women, unfortunately, are forced to stay outside.