Greece

by Shreya Chandrashekhar, 

Wendy Chou, Janani Prasad

Basic Info.

• Located in southern Europe (Mediterranean coast)• Current gov't: Parliamentary republic• Became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1929

Language

• Official Language: Greeko Has been spoken since 2nd millennium in Balkan Peninsula

• Basic Phrases:o Hello/Goodbye: Yassaso Yes: Neo No: Oxhi/Oheeo Thank you: Efharistoo How are you?: Ti ka'nete?o English: Ag-glika?o Do you have a toilet?: Eheeyete Too-alettao How much is this? (cost): Posso Kanay Afto?o Water: Nerroh

Food

- Mild, not very spicy- tradition to be served with wine or beer- Consits of olive oil, lemons, vegetables such as aubergines and courgettes, garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, honey, wine, fish, grains and breads, cheese, and poultry - Greek Cuisine derived from Italy and Turkey

 

Greek Appetizers

-Tsatsiki: famous appetizer made out of Yogurt, garlic and cucumbers - Taramosalata: Greek red caviar and then usually fried aubergines and zucchinis   - Horta (Greek dandelions or radices boiled)

MainCourses

- Moussaka: stuffed tomatoes, aubergines or paprika,  -Giouvarlakia: meatballs with rice in white egg and lemon sauce -Dolmades: stuffed cabbage leaves -Britzoles: (chops) from pork  -Marida: the Greek equivalent of the North Atlantic Whitebait, & one of the most tasty fish dishes

 

Greek Desserts :)

- Baklava:  great Greek pastry made with honey, nuts and filo dough. - Koulourakia: a plain, lightly sweetened Greek cookie twist.

- Loukoumathes: Greek version of doughnuts only they are round balls which are drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.

 

Current Events

• Financial Crisiso Caused by debt and failure to reform economyo Eurozone set requirements, Greece failed to reach

Other countries forced must help Greeceo Debt cause by:

Large budgeto Many protests because of current cutbacks

Major Social Issues

• Social welfare system is very complicated.• Greece is still very traditional so it's hard to modernize.• Drug-related crimes are rising in Greece and are posing a threat to

public security.• The country is currently in great debt. People are starting to trust

the government less and less because of the debt crisis. Corrupt Greek officials also doesn't help their situation.

• Schools are horrible and hospitals are not being properly maintained. 

• Ongoing dispute with Macedonia because Greece refuses to acknowledge that Macedonia is a country. 

• Boundary disputes with Turkey

Ancient Greek Gods

- Religion was important to the Greeks- believed it would make them happier, and the Gods would take care of them - Greeks were Polytheistic: believed in more than one god and those Gods controlled everything - sacrificed animals as gifts for God - Believed the Gods lived at the top of Mount Olympus and each god had a specific rule - Examples: Zeus-  leader, Hermes- messenger, Athena- goddess of war, wisdom and crafts, etc.

  

Current Day Religion

- Before Ottoman rule, Greece was part of the Christian Byzantine Empire.  - When the capitol was moved to Constantinople,  the Orthodox Christian faith  spread throughout Eastern Europe. - Most Greeks, revere and respect the Orthodox Christian faith, attend church, and accept  Orthodox Christianity as their  religion. - 95 to 98% of Greeks are Orothodox Christians- 1. 3 % are Muslims - The rest are Protestants, Jews, and Roman Catholics

Religious Traditions

Baptism• Usually happens first year after the baby is born• Baby doesn't have a name until after baptism• Important day for Greek Orthodox believers

Naming Day• Everyone celebrates their name on a certain given day• Friends visit on that day and the host offers them sweets and pastries• Name days are more important than birthdays

Easter• More important than Christmas• On Good Friday, people light candles for the dead• On Holy Saturday, people go to church for a special Easter service• On Easter Sunday, families gather for dinner and then dance and

celebrate at night

Traditions

• Bread is considered a gift from God so old women bless bread and make the sign of the cross before slicing it.

•  People believe that you can catch the evil eye from someone else's envy. To keep the evil eye away, some people will wear a little blue marble glass with an eye on it or a blue bracelet.

• Knives are never directly handed over to someone. Instead, the person sets the knife on the table for the other person to take.

• People believe that Tuesday the 13th is unlucky, instead of Friday the 13th.

• Spitting is believed to chase away the devil and misfortune.

Ancient Greek Fashion

- Archeological evidence has proved that jewelry was popular -Clothing  was loose fitting - Men and women typically wore sleeveless tunics (women's were ankle length, mens were shorter)

- Generally plain colored except wealthy had various colors  - A heavy wool cloak was worn for warmth during the winter  - Greeks went barefoot or wore sandals outside the home and inside they were barefoot.

- Wore Chitons, Himations, and Peplos

Chiton, Peplos, and a Himation

Present Day Greek Fashion

- Influence from Ancient Greek Clothing- long flowing dresses

Contributions to the Modern World

• Geometry• Architecture• Philosophy• Olympics• Democracy• Theatre styles• Literature (Odyssey, Iliad, etc.)• Hippocratic Oath for doctors

 

Have Fun!γειά σας