Hellenic Republic//Greece

The Greek World's Behavioral Culture Like most countries around the world, Greece too has specific aspects to lifestyle that can be considered uncommon and unique to the region. Visiting the country for the first time and encountering some of these unspoken rules of the culture can come as a surprise, especially if you, the visitor, have not heard of or come across such interactions before. In this post I will highlight some unique bits of the Greek people's day-to-day lifestyle to help reduce the cultural shock that you may experience on your visit to the Hellenic Republic!  To begin with, the Greek people allot a certain level of importance and symbolism to hand gestures. One of these gestures is the waving of your hand at another person. The part of the world where I and most readers of this blog come from call this gesture waving hello to someone standing at a distance. However, in Greece this sign has a completely different meaning. The motion goes by the name "moutza...

Migration in Greece Over the last 3 blog posts I have represented a fun and touristic side of Greece, the one that outsiders commonly look at when thinking about the Hellenic Republic. However, like all other countries, Greece too has issues to manage on a local level. Some of these issues are recognised internationally and attract participation from the global community to help resolve them. One particular issue that I think requires more attention is the marginalisation of groups of people. Some of the more prominent marginalised groups include refugees using Greece as an access point to Europe due to its eastern location. It is internationally understood that handling an influx of migrants can be a challenge for any country and with the landing of asylum seekers comes resistance from locals who may view it as a threat to the country's balance in terms of jobs, housing markets, resources, etc. This resistance can often turn extreme and, with Europe's 2016 border crossing rest...

Stereotypes of Greek Food When one thinks of Greek food, they often think of a taco-shaped item with meat filling; souvlaki, or a wrap made of vegetables, sauces and meat; gyros. While it is true that these items are part of the famous Greek cuisine, they are not a complete picture of what the country has to offer. Greek cuisine is spread across a large range of items that differ from region to region as one moves through the country. For example, some islands are known for their seafood, others for salad and even stews!  Souvlaki. Image Source . Gyros. Image Source . The generalisation of a country's cuisine or any other cultural aspect, whether good or bad, leads to a restrictive idea of the place's local population. It creates a gap between the local people's actual identities and the identity that outsiders lay over them. It is important to conduct proper research about a place and its people before forming a concrete opinion about it. Without such an approach, a chain ...

Athens Street Art While street art can be found throughout Greece, the city of Athens is a particular hotspot for such art. Though the city may look simple from the outside, its streets are some of the most colourful. The city's street art success is attributed to the local government's desire to make Athens prettier than it already is. For this, the city appointed experienced artists to paint its streets full of colour. One of the famous artworks is "Knowledge Speaks, Wisdom Listens" by Wild Drawing . The mural is located in a suburb named Metaxourgio, about 2km away from the Acropolis of Athens. Metaxourgio is home to multiple fantastic pieces of art due to it being the hosting location for the Little Paris Art Festival.  Knowledge Speaks, Wisdom Listens is a painting of an owl. It was created in 2016. The artist who created the mural describes it as a testament to the goddess Athena, citing the owl's long-range vision and implying that Greece tends to looks far...

The Parthenon Ancient Greece comprised of 3 main architectural styles: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Each technique was used in equal amounts across the country. However, when one thinks of Greek architecture today, only one of these techniques comes to mind instantly, that is the Doric style. This is because of a structure that has come to become a symbol of Greece. When we think about the country, the first few thoughts that come to our minds are food, scenic views and this: Digitised Section of the Parthenon. Image Source . Parthenon in 1978. Image Source . The structure in both images is the Parthenon, first as its symbol and then as the actual structure. The Parthenon sits on the Acropolis of Athens, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Acropolis is a point at higher altitudes, usually on a hill, to serve as a natural defence. The Parthenon displays the classical features of Doric architecture that include simpler columns in comparison to other styles. Doric architecture was ...