Etiquette & Behavior in Athens

Greeks are friendly and openly affectionate. It is not uncommon, for example, to see women strolling arm in arm, or men kissing and hugging each other. Displays of anger are also quite common. You may see a man at a traffic light get out to verbally harangue an offending driver behind him, or a customer berating a civil servant and vice versa, but these encounters rarely become physical. To the person who doesn't understand Greek, the loud, intense conversations may all sound angry—but they're not. When you meet someone for the first time, it is customary to shake hands, but with acquaintances the usual is a two-cheek kiss hello and good-bye. One thing that may disconcert foreigners is that when they run into a Greek somewhere with another person, he or she usually doesn't introduce the other party, even if there is a long verbal exchange. If you can't stand it anymore, just introduce yourself, or at least acknowledge the person with a smile.

Greeks tend to stand closer to people than North Americans and northern Europeans, and they rely on gestures more when communicating. One gesture you should never use is the open palm, fingers slightly spread, shoved toward someone's face. The moutza is a serious insult. Another gesture you should remember, especially if trying to catch a taxi, is the Greek "no," which looks like "yes": a slight or exaggerated (depending on the sentiment) tipping back of the head, sometimes with the eyes closed and eyebrows raised. When you wave with your palm toward people, they may interpret it as "come here" instead of "good-bye"; and Greeks often wave good-bye with the palm facing them, which looks like "come here" to English speakers.

In some areas it still doesn't do to overcompliment a baby or a child, thought to provoke others' jealousy and thus bring on the evil eye. You will often see Greeks mock spitting, saying "ftou-ftou-ftou" to ward off harm, as an American might knock on wood after a threatening thought. (At baptisms, the godparent mock-spits three times to discourage Satan.) Although a woman who makes long eye contact with a man is interpreted as being interested in romance, in most cases, Greeks openly stare at anything that interests them, so don't be offended if you are the center of attention wherever you go.

When visiting a house for dinner, you can bring a small gift for the children—a foreign T-shirt, for example—or a box of pastries or sweets. Greeks often eat out of communal serving plates, so it's considered normal in informal settings to spear your tomato out of the salad bowl rather than securing an individual portion. Sometimes in tavernas you don't even get your own plate. Note that it is considered tsigounia, stinginess, to run separate tabs, especially because much of the meal is Chinese-style. Greeks either divide the bill equally among the party, no matter who ate what, or one person magnanimously treats. A good host insists that you eat or drink more, and only when you have refused a number of times will you get a reprieve; be charmingly persistent in your "no." When you plan to meet someone, be aware that Greeks have a loose sense of time. They may be punctual if meeting you on a street corner to go to a movie, but if they say they'll come round your hotel at 7 PM, they may show up at 8 PM. (Generally speaking, Greeks divide the day quite differently: morning ends at 1 or 2 PM, midday can stretch to 4 or 5, and for some, afternoon is 8 or 9 PM.)

Name days (the feast day of the saint after whom a person is named) are more important than birthdays in Greece, and the person who does the celebrating holds open house. If invited, you should take sweets, flowers, spirits, or a more personal gift if you know them well. (It's common in business circles to send a telegram to associates and clients on their name day.) You wish the reveler chronia polla ("hron-ya po-la"), or "many years."

Respect is shown toward elders; they are seldom addressed by their first name but called "Kiria" (Mrs./Ms.) and "Kirie" (Mr.) So-and-So. In country churches, and at all monasteries and nunneries, shorts are not allowed for either sex, and women may not wear pants. Usually, there is a stack of frumpy skirts that both men and women can don to cover their legs. In very strict places—the Patmos monastery, for example—women cannot reveal bare shoulders or too much cleavage. It's a good idea to carry large scarves for such occasions.

Most beaches are topless (and legally so), except those near the harbor or town center. The number of beaches where nude bathing is acceptable is slowly growing, although this is usually restricted to a beach's most remote edge. Watch to see what others do, and err on the conservative side.

Even if you make a mistake, it's unlikely Greeks will think you offensive. They're used to foreigners, don't expect you to know all the rules, and will probably chalk up the impropriety to your culture's strange dictates.

To help you decipher the complexity of Greek culture, read the excellent, entertaining Exploring the Greek Mosaic, by Benjamin Broome (Yarmouth, Maine: Intercultural Press, 1996), which thoughtfully analyzes Greece's social landscape and provides valuable insights, especially for those who want to do business in Greece.

Business Etiquette

Business in Greece can be as informal as a meeting at a coffee shop in Kolonaki to the power-suit sect you'll see around Syntagma Square and Kifissias, where most international firms have offices. Many business conversations and much deal making in the city take place on the run and over the cell phone, but when it comes to meetings, a formality in dress and setting do apply. Don't always expect punctuality—Greeks can be notoriously late—even though times are changing and Greeks must compete in a tougher economic climate since joining the EU.