It’s well known that the Greeks follow different rules than the rest of the world. People don’t line up for the bus, they cram themselves together in a wave of organized chaos; first push, first serve. Leaving your luggage in the early morning to mark your place in line, and returning hours later to a crowded room and claiming your spot at the front is common and a revered practice.
My fifteen-year old cousin remarked upon his first visit to Canada, his first time outside of Greece, “my lord, things are awfully organized here….I don’t like it.” There is however, a secret rule that does guide most of Greek life; the rule of filotimo. Derived from the word for friendship, this term has various definitions depending on who you talk to. The concept essentially means to take pride in your treatment of others, from fighting to the death over who pays the check regardless of how much money either person makes, to overfilling your guests with food and wine (after commenting “not to worry, they like them chubby here.”). It’s not surprising that most filotimo situations involve food and drink.
To the untrained eye, the concept is about boastfulness, but in reality is very much a transition from the ancient belief in xenophilia, or hospitality. In Greek myth, the laws of hospitality prevail over all others, and often the Gods disguised themselves as poor dusty travelers to trip rich landowners into breaking the law and thus incurring their wrath. In today’s Greece, there is little chance of being turned into a goat for a lack of hospitality, but filotimo still aspires that once you’ve exchanged pleasantries with a traveler, you should insist on having them over for lunch.
In the rural parts of Greece, this is an ongoing practice, but rarer in tourist destinations for obvious reasons. If you’ve happened to strike up a conversation with an old Greek waitress while sitting at a tavern, she may invite you to lunch the next day, with no specific time implied and vague directions it is your duty as a guest in the country to appear. There are unspoken guidelines to responding to an act of filotimo.
First, despite the assurance that you should show up at any time, do not show up in the late afternoon; siesta time for most Greeks and your appearance will be welcomed but not appreciated. Second, never show up empty handed. Fournos (bakeries) and zaharoplastios (pastry shops) are on every corner so there is no excuse for mooching off your host. Finally, eat whatever if put in front of you with a smile, whether it be decadent desserts or a plate of liquid cheese and tarts made of garden weeds. Gushing over any effort made by your host is essential for making sure you have a place to crash in the future.
Picture of Greek village, Santorini originally posted by grosz3city
Topic: How to Tuesday |
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Tags: culture, Greece
About the author
A recent graduate of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology, Aliki has spent the last two years living in Holland and travelling around Europe, on a tight budget.
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