Colors of Ios Island - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Every tourist should know that Greek people have their own gestures. They raise their eyebrows and their whole head upwards, while softly clicking with their tongue. It means «no». When they want to say something, they touch or pat the lower lip with the index finger. A nod of the head with the right hand on the heart means «thank you». If you want to show neglect to a person, just pretend that you are brushing off the dust of the lapel of the jacket. If you don’t believe in something, run your hand over the right cheek.

Greeks are very patriotic people. They love their homeland but always criticize their government. But they can’t stand when tourists criticize the government. So try not to discuss this subject if you don’t want to hurt the feelings of the locals. Moreover, if you want to win their favour, say something pleasant about Ios and Greece. But try to act sincerely, Greeks hate any manifestation of a lie.

Greeks have a peculiar mentality. They won't spend much time trying to earn money and move up the career ladder. An idiom «Business before pleasure» is not about Greek people. Locals spend money on a beautiful and useless thing or an evening in a tavern. In general, they make the most of life. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Siesta plays a great role here. Try to plan your holiday, because almost all the cafes and shops are closed from 2 to 5 o’clock. Locals spend their free time sleeping or lying on the beach. Greeks love to gather around the table with friends and family, drink retsina and ouzo and discuss the day's events. There is a great number of taverns on the island. What's interesting, they are always all full of people. You should make every effort to find a free table in an evening. Despite the fact that local citizens love to drink retsina and ouzo, you will hardly meet drunk people on the streets. This is because invariable behaviour is a disgrace for Greeks. So, if you don’t want to be condemned by locals, try to control yourself.

It is customary to greet everyone in a tavern, shop or bank. It is customed to shake hands only at the first meeting. Then, people greet each other with a kiss on the cheeks. People usually refer to each other by the second name here. Locals are very hot-tempered people. They use a lot of hand movements, raise their voice and interrupt each other. The most important Orthodox holidays are celebrated on Ios. One of the most impressive and beautiful customs here is Klidonas that has its roots in antiquity. It is celebrated every year in June.

Greeks love to teach people and it is getting worse with age, but elderly people are highly respected in Greece. Local residents can often live with their parents up to 30. Most of the locals create their own families late, but they try to build strong relationships. However, Greek men love to flirt with different women and pay compliments, but you shouldn’t take it seriously. Locals are very hospitable and they always try to lavish care upon their guests. What's interesting, if a Greek invites you to his house, it doesn’t mean that you will have a meal there.