The Importance of Traditions and Customs for the Greek Culture
A very important area of the cultural heritage of the Greeks is the customs and traditions of their people. These words are closely linked and complement each other. The morals are the perceptions, the “unwritten laws” of every society, while the customs are the acts by which these perceptions are expressed. When customs are repeated constantly from generation to generation, traditions are created.
The customs and traditions of the Greek people come mainly from antiquity and Byzantium and are often associated with the Christian religion. They have also received influences from the various conquerors and from neighboring peoples. They are, in fact, closely related to the Home Economy, as they relate to the everyday life of man and family. In particular, they are divided into two categories:
- The first are those related to the so-called circle of human life, that is, the three most important human life stages: birth, marriage, and death.
- The second category is the customs and customs associated with the so-called circle of the year, namely the occupations of the people and the religious celebrations at the four seasons of the year. With all these, there are also customs that have their roots in antiquity, such as the customs of the Carnival.
In our age, manners still exist, even though many of them are different from those of earlier times. But new customs are not created, and the old ones are often erased because of the modern way of life. However, there is a tendency to revive some local customs, especially the most spectacular, usually for recreational tourists. This revival remains superficial, as the original meaning of customs has been forgotten. The fact is, however, that they survive because they fascinate people and people like to connect to their roots to get the strong feeling of where they belong.
In the following pages, we will give you an impression of the rich traditions in the different places of Greece.
This article was written with information from Oikiaki Oikonomia B’class