10 Crazy Facts About Greece

Since we love exploring as much as you do, here is the next interesting list we made for you: 10 Crazy Facts about Greece. Maybe you want to go there for a holiday, or you’re interested in knowing more about this beautiful country. This is the place where democracy was born, a place with great history and mythology, a place where many philosophers and big academic names lived.

Greece is an amazing country – if you haven’t visited it before you definitely should. But today we’re into some crazy facts, facts that are hard to believe, but very interesting to hear and know. Just like we have recently provided you with crazy facts about Japan you won’t believe, now, we bring you some unbelievable facts from Greece. Weird customs, unusual ways of behaving, unbelievable laws and some beliefs you probably didn’t hear before. Let’s dive in:

10. Wearing Heels in Greece.

It’s not forbidden – don’t be scared girls. Unless, you’re visiting some ancient archeological sites or monuments. Many of them are thousand years old, carved in stone, lots of them are fragile. “Wearing high heels there might damage the structures’ skin which is sensitive, and damage is un-repairable” – is the statement of authorities. So, when you’re up to visit Pantheon this year, be sure not to wear high heels.

9. Greece has zero navigable rivers.

Greece’s mainland is covered in mountains; over 80% of the terrain is like this. There are rivers, but none of them which would be usable for navigation by anything bigger than a small boat, since every river on the mainland is too shallow. Thousands of ships sail around the seas in Greece, but none of them in the rivers.

8. “Short & Hairy” stereotype.

People of Greece are usually portrayed as short and hairy, with a bit darker skin tone. Even though there is a bit of the truth in here, the average height of male Greeks is over 5’10” which makes them taller than American people. Greeks have healthy Mediterranean diet and mild weather, the perfect combination for developing healthy and tall people. Greeks are successful in basketball, with their national selection among first five countries in the world.

7. Voting is mandatory.

When is election time, Greece is in an alert state. This country invented democracy, remember? Well, the obligation of voting in the elections is mandatory for every Greek, and people must respond to it. That’s why voting rates in Greece are always highest in Europe. If somebody doesn’t vote, the country has a law that punishes the “irresponsible citizens”.

6. No birthdays, just name days.

People in Greece are usually named after some saints from ancient times, so you’ll probably going to meet at least one Dionysius, or Spyros. Name day is the celebration day of the saint, and everybody sharing the name celebrates that day as its own; birthdays are not celebrated as name days, if at all. If you have Greek friends, you will be invited to the “name party” instead of a birthday party, and now you know why.

5. Don’t wave with an open palm to Greek.

This is considered as an insult in Greece; the “moutza” is among the worst gesture insults. Greeks are known as emotional, loud and energetic people, and when they are arguing, with this simple move they can say it all. So, next time when you notice this gesticulation, don’t try to reason with the person. And, avoid doing this at all time. Greeks wave with closed palm.

4. Guilty of HIV? You’re under arrest!

If policeman suspects you have the HIV virus, they can arrest you; Greek police has this authority. Policemen are also allowed to force HIV testing to check their claims, and if their suspicion is true, you can spend a night in jail.

3. “I spit on you.”

Spitting in Greece chases the devil and misfortune away. This common act is done by elderly people in Greece – when they hear bad news, they spit three times. People also do a form of spitting as a compliment of the looks. It might sound strange, but when Greeks puff from the lips like spitting to you, they are actually complimenting you!

2. Greeks exhume their dead.

No cremation is allowed in Greece – The Orthodox Church forbids it. Greeks bury their dead, and after five years they exhume the body and wash the bones with wine and then place them in a communal ossuary.  There is a shortage of land in Greek cemeteries and this is a way of solving this problem. Crazy, isn’t it?

1. No video games in Greece.

Greece has a law that forbids playing video games in public, brought in 2002. Not a single platform is excluded from it, as many people received penalties and sentences for playing and owning video games. We don’t know the possible reason for this, but it is a definite #1 on our list of crazy facts about Greece.