Henry Miller once said, “It takes a lifetime to discover Greece but it only takes an instant to fall in love with her.” He couldn’t be more right. Greece has everything one could fancy – breathtaking views, thriving cities, and one of the best cuisines in the world. Admired by its timeless beauty along with unique art, architecture, and fascinating history, Greece makes a perfect blend of ancient heritage and modern culture. 

 In this article, we will be sharing tips and tricks on the Greek style of hustle-free living. So let’s make coffee and embark on the odyssey of living like a Greek.

It all sounds Greek. Basic vocabulary.

 If we had to choose to learn only one word in Greek, it should be “né”, which means “yes”. Needless to say, the amount of times that “né” has been misinterpreted as “no” has put travelers in comical situations. And not to be confused with “okay”, the Greek word for “no” is pronounced “ohi”. 

 We are in the motherland of theatre, so it’s no wonder that every conversation looks like a performance. Expressive body language is a huge part of the culture - expect many hand gestures and eye contact. But beware that some gestures are not universal. For example, putting a forefinger and thumb in a circle in an innocent “okay” would be considered profanity in Greece, and holding up your palm to someone’s face is equal to putting up your middle finger! 

In general, the locals speak decent English so there is no need to worry about a language barrier, but nevertheless, some basic phrases like greetings are worth learning.  A simple “Yassas” (hello) is able to melt the hearts of these welcoming people and might even get you an invite to a home dinner, which is quite an experience.

‍Philoxenia AKA why to avoid eating before visiting your Greek friends. 

Philoxenia (an act of hospitableness and welcome), is in every Greek’s DNA. It’s an ancient tradition of hospitality towards those who are far from home. It implies business culture as well as interpersonal relations, therefore it is not uncommon to invite foreigners to family events. 

We highly recommend not to eat at least 10 hours before going to a Greek’s home. What they call a family dinner will turn out to be a 13-course feast. Don’t come empty-handed either - bring gifts like wine or flowers and expect that they will provide you with food when you leave. When feeding a party of seven, a Greek yiayia (grandmother) cooks with 200 people in mind. 

Everyone is someone’s uncle.

In Greece family is everything and family values are strong. It’s common for children to not leave their parent's house until married and grandparents also live with their children. Greek culture is driven by collectivism. They tend to build strong family bonds and value loyalty and trustworthy connections both in their personal life and business. A more powerful family member would feel the duty to help the younger generation settle in life.     

And remember, that a Greek extended family includes aunts, uncles, cousins, fathers, and mothers-in-law and often considers close friends as relatives! 

‍Siga, Siga. Greek time. 

Greece is a place where Swiss watches never show the correct time. Ancient Greeks believed that time was not a reality, but a concept or a measure. Fifteen Greek minutes can stretch to half an hour or more. Greece is all about slow living which makes it a perfect destination for slow travelers. There is no such thing as small talk here - people spend hours in cafeterias drinking coffee and chatting. And then from 2 to 4 pm, time stops, and everything closes for a siesta nap.

Side note: there is no need to arrive before 10pm for the dinner scheduled at nine. Siga, siga (slowly, slowly) they say. 

Speaking of slow living, if you’re interested in living the Boundless Life in Syros, Greece, be sure to check out our destination packages so that you too can live like a Greek!

Mediterranean diet. 

While Greek mythology could be your Achilles elbow, local cuisine would definitely become your Achilles heel. 

The Mediterranean diet is one of the tastiest and healthiest in the world. It’s no wonder that a wide range of international fast-food chains failed here. No mayonnaise would beat tzatziki sauce, local olive oil is the best, and Greek yogurt is world-famous for a reason.

Locals prefer small family-owned restaurants over chains (nobody can compete with yiayia’s homemade food). The portion sizes would even impress Americans as two to three dishes are enough for five people! Greeks love sharing, and rather than choosing an individual dish for each person, restaurants serve an abundance of dishes in the middle of the table so that everyone can dig in. 

Also be ready to be served another drink and dessert before getting the bill that you asked for. Siga, siga, remember?

When packing for Greece, we advise taking comfortable shoe for those long walks. Also take an extra memory card, film roll, and extra camera battery. Free some space in your phone, and expect to take plenty of pictures as every corner here is Instagram-worthy. 

And last but not least, keep extra luggage space for a bottle of olive oil and your heart open for new experiences and many new friends!