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

While talking, the Greeks like to raise their voices and actively gesticulate. When talking to a local resident, remember that some gestures here have a meaning different from the traditional one. For example, in order to show disagreement, a Greek quickly throws back his head, while clicking his tongue. But if your interlocutor slowly shakes his head from top to bottom, slightly closing his eyes, then this is the expression of consent. The locals call someone not by bending the palm in a familiar gesture but by shaking hand with the open palm down. Tapping the lower lip with the index finger is interpreted as “quieter” or “kiss” in some cultures, while for the Greeks this gesture means “I want to say something”.

And these are not all the differences! For example, the Greeks also have a gesture of shaking head left and right, which usually demonstrates the traditional “no”. Only here it doesn’t mean “no” but rather “I do not understand” or “what do you want?”. Thus, the interlocutor either clarifies for himself the meaning of what you have said or finds out what, in fact, you want from him. If a local resident wants to thank you, he will put his right hand on his heart and nod, often adding an “efharisto” or “efharisto poli”. By the way, whenever possible, you should try to talk to the Greek in his native language, even if you don’t have you can’t do it too well. Here, they love Greece and everything connected to it immensely, and the foreigners’ attempts to master the Greek language are perceived very favorably.

Actually, one of the best ways to win a Greek over, comes from the great patriotism of the locals: you just need to praise his homeland. Best of all – Milos itself, but you can praise the country as a whole. But only do it sincerely – the locals do not like to lie, guided by their own ideas of honor, and do not like lies from the foreigners. Many generally consider the Greeks to be open and simple-hearted people, and there are many reasons for this. It is really not customary to deceive and substitute your neighbor for the sake of your own goals. The Greeks love to live and want to get maximum pleasure from life, and they express this point of view to the visitors. Even the most avid workaholic will definitely rest and relax in Milos, forgetting about the work. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In many ways, because of the desire for pleasure and comfort, many consider the locals rather lazy. It really is not customary to spend a lot of time and effort on making money, and few people save up the money they have already earned. More important than large numbers on the accounts is the opportunity to make a feast at a tavern for at least one evening. By the way, the attitude towards the taverns in Greece is special. This is not just an analog of a restaurant with a “national flavor” but a real resting place. In the evenings, the taverns are filled to capacity, and not because the Greeks do not like to cook. It is just customary here to communicate with friends, relatives, and acquaintances at dinner.

Perhaps the unusual approach of the Greeks to the hospitality owes it to the traditions of evening meetings with relatives in taverns. No one will leave you on the street in a critical situation, and in the house, a guest is always treated with honor and respect. But an invitation to a Greek house does not mean dinner at all, and this must be taken into account. By the way, after meeting someone local, call him by his last name until he offers you to address him by name.

Here they are very respectful of the older generation, not only relatives but also the elderly in the whole. Perhaps this is due to some supernatural desire of all the Greeks to give advice to each other, showing their authority and competence, though not always justified. Many marry here rather late, and, interestingly, matriarchy often reigns in families, although not a single Greek man will admit this to you. If you are a lonely representative of the fair sex, then you should know: on Milos, you will surely find yourself in the center of attention of the local young men, men, and often even old people. It is common here to flirt with a lady, regardless of her age and looks.