The nose is the architectural center of the face, as it occupies the central region. The most difficult thing is to find a woman who will consider her nose to be absolutely perfect; basically, the majority are always unhappy with their nose and therefore have a lot of complexes about it. In total, there are about fifteen groups into which this area is classified, each of which carries five main parameters - the root, the shape of the back, the direction of the base, the tip and the length. All of these are basic features that affect the shape of a given organ.

In Rome, as well as Ancient Greece, in addition to beautiful body women valued noses, as they clarified “ correct form", apparently this is where the concept of Greek and Roman noses came from.

This so-called standard of female beauty can be seen at ancient sculptures, which display all the beauty of women in that era.

Roman profile

If you look at the Roman shape of the nose in profile, you can notice and emphasize a feature in it, such as a peculiar elongated nose with a slightly curved tip.

If you have this profile, then you must be very courageous people who will be able to attack and repel an opponent or enemy.

The appearance of the modern Greek people does not so often coincide with the standard of beauty; even the traditional, classical shape of the nose very rarely flashes among the crowd. This fact leads us to think that greek nose was the most ideal of all which was characterized as a symbol divine beauty, if you look at ancient statues or photographs in profile.

The Greek-shaped female nose is very closely related to the character-defining hairstyle, which emphasized a low forehead and a rather beautiful nose. The difference between a man's nose and a woman's is only in size, so the woman's nose is more beautiful and quite thin.

By the shape of the Greek nose, you can determine the character of a person, find out his emotional characteristics and mental abilities, which include:

If a person has a naturally Greek-shaped nose, then this person is usually very restrained, never panics, thinks logically quite quickly, and can also cope with his emotions very well.

Admiral Nelson was naturally blessed with such a nose.

If you look at modern famous personalities who have never changed or, on the contrary, resorted to nose correction - Natalie Portman, Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, Monica Bellucci.

Holidays in Greece ‹ More about Greece ‹ Character of the Greeks

Character of the Greeks

The character of the Greeks, even in the time of Homer, would most correctly be called schizophrenic.
Neither education, nor upbringing, nor wealth creates a person in Greece, and their absence does not create a scoundrel.
In different strata of society you can meet Alexander the Great - noble, brave, intelligent, broad-minded, sincere, warm-hearted and generous, and Karagöz - low, treacherous, selfish, talkative, vain, lazy, envious and greedy - often in one and the same person.

Individualism

Individualism - main feature, characterizing the Greeks, which makes any attempt to sort them into categories and put a label on the Greeks as a nation impossible.
They nurse an overinflated ego that makes any collective initiative completely impossible until they come face to face with a national catastrophe, at which point they rally in a rare display of national unity. The Greeks also display an extreme passion for freedom of choice - which makes them completely impervious to understanding the words "discipline", "coordination" or "system".
"I" is the favorite word of the Greeks. When a Greek asks the rhetorical question “Do you know who I am?”, he clearly considers himself the center of the universe. As one old man from Delphi explained, everything is very simple: “The Earth is the center of the Universe, Greece is the heart of the Earth, Delphi is the center of Greece and, therefore, the navel of the Earth, I am the head of Delphi, therefore, I am the center of the Universe.”

Stormy emotions

When a Greek does not sleep, his lively temperament blossoms wildly, unhampered by any conventions. Perhaps this is what led the ancient sages to carve the sayings “Nothing in excess” and “Know thyself” on the portals of the temple of the Delphic oracle in a vain attempt to convince their fellow citizens to restrain their emotions.
They did not heed this call then, and they do not heed it now. From Achilles, whose anger was the cause of such mass slaughter at the walls of Troy, to Admiral Miaoulis, who in the 19th century was so angry with the government that he set fire to the Greek fleet, the Greeks give full vent to their emotions, and... do not care about the consequences!
Self-control, although invented by the ancient Spartans, is not only unknown to modern Greeks, but also completely incomprehensible. They do everything with passion - they have fun and they grieve. They scream, they scream, they burst out into pompous tirades, they frantically curse fate equally over important and not so important circumstances. No feeling is too personal to remain unexpressed. Their passions know no bounds.
Such rampant incontinence often results in a burning need to express oneself in some physical form.
All over the world people dance when they are happy. The Greeks, on the other hand, tend to pour out their deepest pain and heartache in a heart-rending, majestic dance rhythm.
“The devil lives inside me,” explains the Greek Zorba in the novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis. “Every time my heart is ready to burst, he orders me: “Dance!” - and I dance. And my pain goes away.”

Indifference

The heat of the Greek temperament is organically combined with the ice of the well-known indifference of the Greeks to everything related to the improvement of public life or to any worthy cause.
IN spoken language the Greeks still call themselves "Romans" because the Greco-Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist for another thousand years after the collapse of the Western Empire. The widely used expression "Forget it, brother! I will not risk my neck to save the Roman nation!" indicates the stubborn reluctance of most Greeks to take an active interest in anything that lies outside their immediate environment or that will not bring them personal benefit.
There’s even a song about this that ends with the chorus: “And we’re all sitting in a coffee shop - cigars, coffee and cards, and let it be, brother!”

Greetings to regular and new readers! Today's theme is ladies'. Should you marry a Greek? Let's look at all the pros and cons of Greek men. At the end of the article there is a video on the topic.

Amazing and sunny Greece opens up to us through works of art, literature, films, travel and active tourism. Having visited its warm seas at least once, the Russian girl could not help but pay attention to the local temperamental men.

Or maybe you should think about marrying a Greek and staying forever in the homeland of the Olympian gods?

Greek men

The worldview of the Greeks is specific. It harmoniously combines Christianity and ancient pagan beliefs. The Greeks greatly respect their history and culture, they are sincerely proud of their country, and this is quite understandable.

Ancient Hellas– the cradle of European civilization. Almost every Greek considers his nation to be the best in the world, and the Greek language as the basis of all languages ​​on the planet. Of course, they exaggerate their importance somewhat, but that’s the whole point.

The spirit of heroism is in their blood. Every second resident modern Greece considers himself a descendant of Zeus or some other god.

Warp national character– a philosophically serene outlook on life. The Greek will teach you to enjoy every minute you live and notice the beauty around you. These hospitable people are tolerant of other nations. The myth that a Greek man only marries a Greek woman is absurd.

Perhaps the vast majority of Greeks consider their compatriots as wives, but love easily changes these views. These men know how to love and enjoy life.

The Greeks are great optimists. Even if they suffer setbacks, for example, losing their job, they will not become discouraged and worry. Of course, in this case, the Greek will immediately start looking for a new job, but before that, have a lot of fun with his friends.

Even the current crisis in the economy of this country is not a reason for despondency. After all, life goes on and there is so much beauty around!

Greek men in relationships

When dating a Greek, you will lose some of your freedom, but you will gain protection and a reliable shoulder. Greeks try to dominate in relationships, but recognize themselves as real men. True, in Greek you can often run into very cunning scammers who, under various pretexts, lure money from tourists.

It may also happen that your new beau, singing sweet speeches about love, is actually married, but carefully hides it just to have fun. However, such characters are found in all countries, but vigilance still does not hurt.

Do not rush to immediately conclude that your chosen one is the best. Men make promises easily, but do not always keep their word. And, in general, the Greek people love to tell beautiful stories.

The Greek will do his best to present himself in the most favorable light. Often even the poorest Greeks buy one expensive thing to show off to women. Therefore, you should study your boyfriend thoroughly before making a wedding decision.

Greek family

Majority modern Greeks still adhere to patriarchal principles. The man is the head of the family, and the wife is the keeper of the family hearth. The Greeks are very generous, including towards their lovers. But a wife’s betrayal will never be forgiven!

However, their generosity often turns into wastefulness. For example, your husband may not bring home half of his salary because he met all his friends on the way and decided to treat them to a luxurious dinner.

Money thrown down the drain! - you say. However, your spouse will think differently. The money he will earn will be different, but his (glorious friend) will be remembered for a long time.

Despite their slightly frivolous attitude towards life, the Greeks are by no means lazy. WITH youth men realize that they must support their own family and children. Nowadays, there are many hardworking Greek entrepreneurs who devote 10-12 hours a day to work.

True, there are those who prefer to work hard only during the season of the greatest flow of tourists, so that throughout the year they have the opportunity to relax and spend the money they earn with pleasure. In any case, these people are not poor.

Being a housewife in Greece is quite normal. True, recently Greek women have been striving to work and be independent, and their husbands do not interfere with this. The Greeks make wonderful fathers, for whom descendants are sacred. They also have great respect for their parents and elders.

It is unacceptable for a Greek man's wife to quarrel with his relatives, even if he allows himself to do so regularly. In Greece you will be treated this way, this is how you treat people. Don’t create conflicts and don’t be shy to admit that you don’t understand or don’t know how to do something.

Good-natured relatives and friends of your husband will be happy to help you and unanimously teach you everything you need.

Video

This collection of videos contains additional and interesting information for women who are planning to marry a Greek man.

Dear ladies and girls, I hope that now you will make the right decision: whether to marry a Greek. 🙂 Share this information with your friends

Greek profile- a special interpretation of the profile of a human face, which is part of the canon ancient greek sculpture classical and Hellenistic eras. Is one of the most important characteristics beauty of that period. In this sense, it was perceived by artists of the New Time, who were guided by fine arts to Ancient Greece.

Distinctive features are the line of the nose, which goes straight into the forehead with virtually no emphasis on the bridge of the nose. If the head is crowned with a helmet, then this line also merges with it. A relatively heavy chin is also noticeable.

In real life, it is extremely difficult to meet people with a similar appearance, including among modern Greeks. General type: rectangular face, narrow subnasal area, rectangular eye sockets, high compact nose, developed cheekbones. The use of an expression in spoken language to describe someone's beauty is in most cases untrue, since usually people actually simply intend to express admiration for the purity of the lines of the profile of the person being described. "Greek profile" is also not a synonym "long nose"(common mistake).

Researchers note that the initial folding of this type of image is most easily seen in Greek vase painting, where the Greek profile appears in the last stage of archaism. In the paintings of red-figure ceramics of this period, the proportions of faces change: their overall outline is leveled, the chin is shortened and heavier, and the forehead becomes lower and harder, while the nose shortens and becomes more vertical. In sculpture the principle appears a little later. Whipper explains that for the Greeks the relationship of individual features in such a face is determined not by psychological, but by plastic expressiveness, which was caused by their special love for the naked human body in action and its deep understanding.

Hegel, analyzing the Greek profile, concludes that it minimizes the “bestial” features inherent in the head: the mouth, chewing muscles, cheekbones, which remind of the physiology of a person, and, on the contrary, accentuates the features denoting mental life - this is, first of all, beautiful forehead. In such a face, whose proportions are in absolute harmony, the forehead (usually not very high) receives an expression of firmness and stubborn mental concentration, speaking of the high merits of the person depicted.

A similar profile, which became the ideal of beauty, was endowed with images of gods and heroes: according to the Greek concept of kalokagathia (beauty and virtue are equal to each other), these positive characters had to be the most beautiful. At the same time, negative characters, even those opposing them in the same composition, were depicted with hooked “eagle”, flattened “monkey” noses.

The Benaki Museum of Greek Civilization displays a photograph of a "girl from Ipati" with a classic Greek profile and facial features. The Greek nose is also found among modern Greeks, for example, the artist Sakis Rouvas, the singer Dimos Anastasiades. The Greek nose may have represented ideal facial beauty, probably due to its rarity.

Source:
Greek appearance
Greek profile is a special interpretation of the profile of the human face, which is part of the canon of ancient Greek sculpture of the classical and Hellenistic eras. Is one of the most important
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0 %BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C

Greek nose: what happened to the classic appearance of the Greeks?

Perhaps everyone has heard about the famous standard of beauty of the ancient Greeks - the Greek nose; all over the world the concept of classical beauty is associated with it. If countries could be associated with body parts, then Greece would undoubtedly get the face, along with the famous profile and characteristic Greek nose shape. For many years there has been debate about why these traits were considered ideal, were they really inherent in all Greeks, and is it now possible to meet people with a real Greek profile in Greece?

If you believe the canonical interpretations of Greek appearance, then the forehead of a typical Hellene smoothly blends into the line of the nose, and the bridge of the nose is almost not highlighted (except perhaps separated by a barely noticeable bend). The famous straight nose shape is probably the most distinctive feature Greek profile. Contrary to popular belief erroneous opinions, it is not synonymous with a big nose. But it seems that not all Greeks appreciate it: to this day, rhinoplasty remains the most popular appearance enhancement procedure in Greece. ??

It is unknown who first identified such features of Greek appearance. Some put forward the version that the Greeks themselves did it: the famous profile and nose are inherent in most ancient Greek frescoes and sculptures. Others argue: such an interpretation of the profile is simply an example of the ideal of beauty. This means that this type of appearance is more rooted in art than caused by physical characteristics real people. Heroes and gods were endowed with appearance that long defined the canons of beauty. But negative characters were depicted with flattened, hooked and “eagle” noses.

The figurative vessel is the head of a maiden. Athens, 5th-6th century BC

The very first examples of the image of a Greek profile can be seen on ancient Greek red-figure vases.

Female head, Idalion, 6th century BC.

Since the people and gods on them are drawn in profile, it is not difficult to form an idea of ​​the classic appearance for that era: a forehead line that turns into a nose and a weakly defined chin. Moreover, the forehead was certainly depicted as beautiful and large - this was a reminder of the high mental abilities of the person depicted and his merits.

Artemis with a swan, Athens, c. 5th century BC

Over time, the idea of ​​ideal appearance has changed a little - the chin began to be depicted as pronounced. Thus, the Greek profile is not just a straight nose shape, but a combination with a smooth forehead line and an implicit emphasis on the bridge of the nose.

During the Hellenistic era, realistic busts and sculptures began to be created. They made me doubt the real existence of the so-called “Greek profile”. The types of appearance depicted on realistic busts proved that the ancient Greeks were no different from their contemporaries. They had different noses and profiles, and quite often were far from ideal. Since the 19th century in newspapers and scientific works reflections began to appear on the topic “What happened to the classical Greek profile?” and “Did ideal faces exist?” Many agreed that there were similar examples of appearance, but not all Greeks had such a profile.

Greek appearance - who is its typical representative? First of all, you should turn to the classic busts of heroes and gods. Hermes and Athena correspond to the ideal idea of ​​beauty. Excellent examples among famous sculptures- Venus de Milo, reconstructions of Athena Lemnia, Venus Tauride, Diadumen.

(photo can be viewed enlarged)

As you can see in the photo above, the Greek nose in men and the Greek nose in women are not too different, except perhaps a little in size. A Greek nose with a hump is no longer quite the same; we don’t see a single such example in classical statues, and the Greeks themselves consider a straight nose to be the ideal.

But the image of Socrates does not at all correspond to Hellenic ideas of beauty, and even more so does not correspond to the idea of ​​an ideal profile. Great philosopher had bulging eyes, an upturned and flattened nose with wide nostrils - in general, by ancient standards he was downright ugly. If you believe the descriptions, he incredibly resembled the Sileni - satyrs, who were often depicted as drunk and who were characterized by demonic qualities.

Greek philosopher Socrates

The portrait of the orator Demosthenes also bears little resemblance to the classical ideal of beauty:

Greek orator Demosthenes

Of the modern owners of the Greek profile, the most prominent representatives are actresses Irini Pappa (Irene Papas):

Greek actress Irene Papas

and the unforgettable Ellie Lambethi,

Greek actress Ellie Lambeti

singer Elena Paparizou.

Greek singer Elena Paparizou

Among men, Sakis Rouvas has a Greek nose, almost in its classical sense.

Greek singer and artist Sakis Rouvas

IN ordinary life It is possible to see a Greek profile in Greece, although this happens extremely rarely. But availability bright examples confirms: such an appearance existed and exists. Another thing is that she was not “the only true one.”

Have you met people with a Greek profile? Still, the Greek nose is found not only in Greece...

Hello everyone! Our competition “Olive - my love” continues.

A film that deals with the topic Greek mythology, success is certainly destined.

Dear readers, I continue our “Friends and Guests” section. Today is yours.

Today we have new topic on the site “My Greece” - hairstyles in Greek.

25 Responses to

Congratulations on the spring holiday!
We wish you with all our hearts
May your life be bright,
Let it be strewn with roses
Your life path until the end.

We wish you truth, happiness, kindness
Extraordinary and dream come true
We wish on the light, we wish on the stars
We wish you laughter and happy tears.

Thank you, Svetlana! And you and spring holiday!

about the nose, of course it’s cool! HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL LADIES.

Thank you, Sergey!

Happy first spring holiday, dear women!

Mikhail, thanks for the congratulations! And for your story - a wonderful addition to the article. And to that girl who has matured a long time ago, God bless her!

The Greek nose can also be found in Russia, interesting article. Happy Women's Day, Elena!

Interesting thoughts on the Greek profile. We're really more used to it historical portraits, and now I thought that in Russia, I probably met a few people with a Greek profile among my friends, I know one for sure, but in Bulgaria I met more such people. Perhaps the proximity of the countries influenced this??

Olya, of course - this is the Balkans, everything is mixed up here...

Source:
Greek nose: what happened to the classic appearance of the Greeks?
What is the difference between a Greek nose and a Greek profile, the classic Greek nose of Ancient Greece and modern times
http://elramd.com/grecheskij-nos/

People of Greece

Although they say that the people of Greece are the descendants of the Gods, what is the most ancient man lived in Greece more than nine thousand years ago, and that the Greeks are the founders of the sciences and arts, they do not consider themselves great at all. Friendly? Yes! Do they love football? Yes! Do they admire women? Yes!

In Georgia, the Greeks are called “berdznebi” (“sages”), and Greece is called “saberdzeneti”, that is, “land of the sages.”

These people mainly ate fish. Moreover, the fish whose bones were found in the cave were never found near the shore, which means that the ancients were not afraid to go out into the open sea and were well versed in navigation. As a result of searches in the cave, pottery and grain vessels were also found, which confirmed scientists’ guesses that the ancients knew how to cultivate the land. Of particular interest were tools made from obsidian. The fact is that this material was present only on the island of Milos, located one hundred kilometers from the continent. Today, scientists are confident that Neanderthals inhabited the Fraghti cave, and perhaps a new study will answer the question of why the Neanderthals disappeared, and homo sapiens survived.

State lottery draws weekly “make” one or two millionaires, and at the same time provide the state treasury with good income. For many Greeks buy lottery ticket- a habit that has become commonplace on a par with buying a morning newspaper.

People in Greece are proud, which is typical of southern European peoples. But it should be noted that the Greeks have reasons to be proud. The names of their ancestors alone are worth the great scientist and philosopher Aristotle, the father of mathematics, Pythagoras, great thinker Socrates, the father of chemistry Archimedes, the father of philosophy Plato, the father of medicine Hippocrates, the famous ancient sculptor Phidias, and great commander Alexander the Great and many others.

Greeks are very proud that Greece still continued to fight in World War II against the Nazis while everyone European countries have already capitulated. “Now we no longer say that Greek warriors fight like heroes - we say that heroes fight like Greeks,” Churchill said.

Greece in Greek is Hellas, and the Greeks are Hellenes and Hellenids (as they call themselves). More than half of the population is employed in the tourism business: there are few industrial enterprises.

Every morning before school starts, children read a prayer. On the first day of the school year, instead of the principal, the priest greets the children, wishing them successful studies. In Greece, young people want to work as teachers. But the young specialist does not choose his place of work: he is sent to a particular city or village by the Department of Education, located in Athens. The teacher can only agree or not, or wait for other proposals. In schools, half of the teachers are men. The profession of a teacher is a budgetary one, therefore it is paid. And the teacher earns “no worse than other” state employees. In hospitals, the reception desks are also men. And the store clerks are men. Of course, women work too, it’s just unusual to see men in a pastry shop, packing cakes.

Handshakes among the Greeks are accepted only during acquaintance. When friends meet, they say “Hello” (“Yia sou”) to each other and kiss each other on both cheeks. This greeting does not depend on gender or age. The Greeks reserve kissing hands for the clergy of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Now about the Greeks themselves. Greek names They are not particularly diverse. Grandfather, son and grandson have the same name. When you meet a Greek, you can be sure it’s Yirgos, Yannis, Kostas or Dimitris. The names Panayiota, Maria, Vasiliki are popular among women. Women themselves may forget their full name– they’ve been called diminutives all their lives. IN recent years the fashion has come to be called in the English manner: Yorgos - George, Yannis - John.

Greeks love to communicate on a cell phone. Thanks to various offers from companies, they have the opportunity to talk for free for a long time. Which they enjoy using. Basically, Greeks are friendly and hospitable people, polite in communication: they will show you the way, explain anything you don’t understand. Greeks are not aggressive. There are almost no fights in bars. At most, they will shout and wave their hands, after a while they will calm down and communicate as if nothing had happened. Greeks love coffee. With ice. And without. They sit in cafes for a long time, discuss the news and are in no hurry to go home.

Even today, Greeks can read many ancient texts without much difficulty due to the fact that the language has not undergone significant changes over thousands of years.

Loved by the Greeks folk music, which is listened to in bouzoukya. Usually musicians are invited to this party, they drink wine and dance folk dances. My favorite dance is no, not sirtaki, but zeybekiko, similar to the dance of a drunken sailor. Performed, as a rule, by one man. The audience sits in a circle and applauds. One got tired, the next one entered the circle.

The favorite food of the Greeks is souvlaki (like shawarma) with fried potatoes fries. Both children and adults eat it, often and in large quantities. This is Greek fast food. Wash it down with Coca-Cola. Favorite Greek saying: “When other nations were still climbing trees and eating bananas, the Greeks were already suffering from cholesterol.” They drink little. They get drunk quickly. But they behave decently. Greek men know how to appreciate female beauty: after seeing beautiful woman, will definitely demonstrate their admiration in some way. Flirting in Greek is called kamaki. Greeks “do kamaki” (flirt) with pleasure and often.

National psychology is a special phenomenon of social life, more precisely, social psychology and includes “psychological traits and properties, the totality of which is designated by the concepts of the mental makeup of a nation or national character.”

National psychology manifests itself in the form of specific ethnic stereotypes, qualities of national character, national self-awareness, national feelings and moods, national interests and orientation, traditions, cultural differences, habits, manifested in the form of national characteristics of behavior mental states a person as a representative of a particular historical community.

The concept of “national psychological characteristics” is subordinate to the concept of “mental makeup of a nation” (national psychology) as one of the characteristics of a nation.

National psychological characteristics reflect a dynamic feature of national psychology. Therefore, studying them becomes important for the organization practical activities in social and political spheres when solving national and general problems of interaction different groups population in society, as well as in the development theoretical problems nations and national relations.

The difference in national characteristics is revealed in their “actual functioning”, and they are revealed only when comparative comparison such as actually existing in public consciousness various nations.

In the structure of national psychological characteristics, four spheres can be distinguished.

Motivational-background characterizes the driving forces of activity of representatives of a particular ethnic community, the originality of its motives and goals.

The intellectual-cognitive sphere determines the originality of perception and thinking of the bearers of the national psyche, records the presence of cognitive qualities in them that are different from those of representatives of other nations and give the opportunity to perceive the surrounding reality in a special way, build models, schemes, use their own methods of mastering it, carry out their transformative activity.

The emotional-volitional sphere of representatives of a particular ethnic group is clearly expressed in the emotional and volitional qualities that they demonstrate in their real behavior, and the effectiveness of people’s activities largely depends on their characteristics.

The communicative-behavioral sphere in determining national psychological characteristics characterizes the relationships between people of specific ethnic communities. And since each ethnic group has its own established norms of relations. This area is of great interest when studying, identifying and determining its differences from other peoples.

The population of Greece has a number of common national, psychological, behavioral, everyday and other traits and characteristics, the origins of which are rooted in the distant past and are the result historical development countries.

Among the national psychological characteristics that characterize the activities of the Greek population, it is first of all necessary to highlight motivational ones. Greeks are proactive and businesslike. They try to solve the problem immediately, without unnecessary coordination and without postponing it for later. One of distinctive features The Greeks are hard working. The origins of this quality go back to the great creations ancient Greece. The hands of the Greek people erected majestic architectural structures in Thessaloniki, Patras, Athens and other cities of the country.

The Greeks are characterized by courage and perseverance. The Greeks showed great heroism when they fought against Turkish rule and against the Nazi occupiers during the Second World War.

The protests of the masses against foreign invaders revealed the love of freedom of the Greek people and their hatred of their oppressors.

Analyzing the intellectual and cognitive characteristics of the Greek population, one should note its innate ingenuity. Nature endowed the Greeks with an inquisitive mind and creative talent. It is no coincidence that Greece gave the world large number world famous scientists, philosophers, thinkers, writers, poets, artists, sculptors, architects, such as: Homer, Euripides, Pythagoras, Plato, Socrates, Sophocles, Phidias, Aeschylus, Hespodes, Herodotus, Archimedes, Aristophanes, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Praxiteles and many others.

Among a significant part of the population, admiration for any intellectual and even clerical work prevails.

Most Greeks have a penchant for trading. Many people dream of opening their own business, buying a shop, even the tiniest one. The owner of such a shop will never say that he does not have any goods. He runs to his neighbor and borrows from him the right thing, but will not refuse the buyer so as not to lose clientele.

A small shop, a handicraft workshop is the business of the whole family. In a serious and careful attitude this property expresses a desire for independence, a desire to get rich, and antipathy to working for a fellow tribesman. While he shies away from being hired by “strangers,” the Greek at the same time willingly works for his relatives.

In its emotional-volitional and communicative characteristics, the Greek nation is very different from others. Greeks are an emotional people. By nature, they are extremely sociable, spontaneous in expressing their feelings, experiences and have a sense of humor.

Their characteristic feature is also their lively temperament, which manifests itself, in particular, in the widespread use of gestures in the process of communication. The Greeks love external brilliance and nationality, they always want to be in the center of attention. Many have their own business cards indicating the position held and existing merits.

When talking with a Greek, you need to be careful in your expressions, since one harsh word can throw him off balance, especially since many Greeks are distinguished by increased self-esteem. Most Greeks, especially city dwellers, are keenly interested in politics, easily succumb to agitation, and readily participate in demonstrations and rallies.

There is a noticeable difference in the behavior and character of northerners and southerners. Northerners are hardworking, thrifty, witty and sociable. There are many emigrants among them, including from Russia. It is typical for southerners to be overly developed sense nationalism and panhellenism, they are often more self-interested and less serious about work.

For residents of the interior regions of the country and islands in the Aegean Sea, where there is backwardness, great passivity, and even some kind of downtrodden population.

The Greeks passionately love their land and are proud of its great past, culture and traditions. On native language they call themselves “Hellenes” because, having retained a little in soul and appearance from their great ancestors, they unshakably feel themselves to be their descendants. The average Greek, whether he is a successful businessman, an average office worker or a small shopkeeper, is proud to belong to a once great nation.

Most modern Greeks profess a Russian, but now forgotten proverb: “It’s good outside the cordon, but better at home.” One sociological survey conducted in Athens at the end of 1994 found that 70 out of 100 Greeks surveyed believed that in no other country would they live as well as in Greece. And only 5 out of 100 want to live in the USA. Many Greeks consciously refuse " better life» in other countries. They are based on the following considerations: firstly, a wonderful climate, secondly, excellent conditions for recreation and entertainment, thirdly, low level crime, well, and most importantly - high level human relations. Thus, despite the fact that among countries European Union Greece has the lowest per capita income, the highest inflation and the lowest labor productivity, Greeks prefer to live in their homeland.

The Greeks have a highly developed sense of local patriotism, in particular, pride and nepotism. In the countryside, a Greek will not pass by stranger without greeting him or asking how things were going. Regardless financial situation, the Greeks extend their hospitality with extreme pride. Any monetary reward for this on the part of the guest may cause offense to the owner.

Greece has a tradition of so-called “kinship solidarity”. Wealthy man will never allow his relatives to languish in poverty. The following indicator can be given. Approximately a third of Greece's gross national product comes from shadow income. This is a second job, and the real volume of production in private enterprises hidden from tax inspectors, home work, as well as deliberately underestimated earnings of private doctors, lawyers and representatives of other “liberal professions”. As a result, every fourth Greek lives in own home, and every third person drives a personal car.

Peculiar household traditions Greeks, their norms family relations. IN family life The husband behaves tyrannically towards his wife. The Greek is convinced that he has every right cheat on his wife, but this is not permissible for his wife to do.

According to religious norms, a man can marry no more than 3 times in his life. Weddings are prepared and held in compliance with established rituals. If a young man wants to marry a girl, then when he meets, he puts a wreath on her head, and then sends matchmakers to the bride’s house. If the girl agrees to the marriage, then the groom has an engagement party, and the bride has a dinner party. After this, the groom's friends organize a symbolic abduction of the bride, and then the wedding takes place.

Greek women have significantly limited rights. For the same work as a man, a woman receives less pay. Women are almost not represented in senior management positions. Only in a number of places in villages there is a custom when once a year (January 8) the day of women's omnipotence is celebrated. On this day, the management of public affairs passes into their hands, and men stay at home all day, cooking and washing clothes. If a man leaves the house on this day, he is punished.

A woman has no right to go to work without her husband's consent. If she worked before marriage, she needs her husband's permission to continue working. In Greek law there is only the right of the father. If a mother leaves home with her child without her husband's consent, she is subject to punishment for “unlawful retention” of the child.

Colorful national costumes Greeks Since city clothes are quite expensive, many Villagers continue to wear clothes made from homespun materials. Each Greek region has its own traditional holiday clothing.

Many national psychological characteristics of the Greeks are associated with religion. The church occupies an important place in the life of the population. In Greek villages and towns there are sometimes more churches and chapels than schools. On the island of Mykonos, for example, which has only about 3,000 inhabitants, there are 360 ​​churches and chapels.

Religious holidays are widely celebrated throughout the country. Over the centuries, their ritual side has been adapted to serve the interests of the ruling circles, mask social inequality, and create illusions among the masses about general “prosperity.” The largest holidays are Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and others. On religious holidays, mass pilgrimages of believers to “holy places” take place.

The most popular religious holiday, celebrated at the end of December, is Christmas. They prepare for it for a long time and noisily. Workers and employees receive a special Christmas benefit in the amount of one third or half of their monthly earnings. It is paid at the expense of previous deductions, with the aim of encouraging religious feelings workers and emphasize the “humanity” of the owners of enterprises and offices. Christmas service in church begins at 4 a.m. and ends at dawn.

During Christmas celebrations, the tree is not decorated and gifts are not exchanged. Christmas is considered clean family holiday. On holidays, city residents travel to the islands. In 1994, for example, during the Christmas holidays, about 500,000 people traveled from Athens alone to the “holy places”.

On New Year's Eve, the Christmas tree is decorated, Greeks present each other with gifts, and a New Year's cake is prepared, which is usually entrusted to the guest of honor to cut. On January 1, churches hold festive prayer services.

Epiphany is solemnly celebrated (January 6). In coastal areas, church services end on this day procession to the sea with a symbolic ritual of blessing the water there. In the presence of the congregation, the priest throws a cross into the sea. Young people jump into the water to get it. If there is no sea nearby, then the procedure takes place near a body of water. Parishioners then fill a jug with water here and take it home. On this day, the streets of cities and villages are full of people, music is thundering, and bells are ringing in the morning.

The most popular holiday, creating an atmosphere of illusory “prosperity” even for the poorest, is Easter (April-May). Easter is preceded by a month of fasting. The Easter service begins from Saturday to Sunday. The light barely flickers in the church, and then it gradually sinks into complete darkness, personifying, as it were, the darkness of the grave. At midnight, a priest appears from behind the altar with a lit candle. All the parishioners gradually light the candles from it. When all the candles are lit, the priest and parishioners leave the church, and the service continues in the courtyard, at the entrance to the church. Bells begin to ring, fireworks display, guns fire, ships honk, everyone shouts “Christ is Risen” and waves burning candles. The Easter service in Athens is held with the participation of the country's president, prime minister, senior military and government officials, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.

By tradition, military units have an open day on Easter. An Easter lunch is organized for the soldiers. Relatives are invited to attend, as well as unit veterans, representatives of local authorities, and foreign military diplomats. The President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, commanders of various branches of the armed forces and branches of the military, and unit commanders speak to the military personnel with congratulations.

Before Easter, workers and employees again receive an Easter benefit in the amount of a month's salary through preliminary deductions. They usually go to visit on Easter. When they meet, everyone congratulates each other with the traditional “Christ is Risen” on breaking the Easter egg.

Easter is celebrated for three days. It is timed to coincide with sports competitions, showing specially selected films. Traffic controllers on city streets in ceremonial uniforms control traffic from special stands made in the shape of a broken egg. Dance festivals take place everywhere.

In addition to national ones, local religious holidays are also celebrated, which are usually associated with the honoring of mythical heroes or gods, as well as the merits of eminent people included in the “saints”.

Independence Day is celebrated on March 25th. On this day in 1821, the Greeks rebelled against the Turks. During the holiday, military parades, solemn prayers are held in Athens and Thessaloniki, and demonstrations by students are held under chauvinistic slogans. Leaders of the state and armed forces tour nearby military units. In the evening there are mass celebrations.

Okha (No) Day is celebrated on October 28th. It commemorates Greece's rejection in 1940 of the ultimatum of surrender presented to the country by the Italian fascist government of Mussolini. Celebrations are held with the same ideological orientation as Independence Day.

Republic Day is celebrated on June 23 to commemorate the fall of the military junta in 1974.

Most cities in the country celebrate the days of liberation from the Turkish yoke: October 26 - Thessaloniki, June 21 - Kilkis, February 21 - Ioannina, November 7 - Florina. A number of cities and regions celebrate anniversaries of their liberation from German and Italian occupation during the Second World War.

Along with strict observance of all holidays, the Greeks are characterized by a certain ease of behavior. They pay great attention to leisure time. Different segments of Greek society view it differently. On weekdays, men usually spend free time in taverns in the absence of wives. On Saturdays and Sundays, taverns are most often visited by families. Tavern for the Greek - special kind, art. This is a kind of center of cultural life, as well as recreation for the country's population.

Among the popular entertainments in Greece, games of cards, backgammon and dice are common. Greeks of all classes participate in lotteries organized by both the state and private entrepreneurs.

Television is very popular among the population. Many are avid fans, especially of football and basketball teams.

The basis of Greek food is meat and sea salads. The Greek national dish is kebab souvlaki. It usually serves as the first course. A Greek breakfast usually consists of a cup of black coffee or coffee with milk. Its diet includes a lot of fish, fish products and shellfish, especially shrimp.

The Greek type of dwelling is a two-story stone house with an external staircase leading to the second floor. In the upper part of the house there are living rooms, and in the lower part, as a rule, there are utility rooms, workshops, chicken coops, and often a barn. In a middle-income family, and even more so in poor family, the rooms are furnished with simple, inexpensive furniture.

Both urban and rural families often consist of representatives of three generations. This is largely due to the high cost of housing and the inability to ensure their existence without the constant support of other family members.

Many Greeks are superstitious. They believe in various signs and slander.

National identity the Greeks are actively exploited and transformed by the ruling circles.

The main place in the content of ideological and psychological treatment of the population is given to the propaganda of Orthodoxy, praise of the existing system in the country, and incitement of nationalism. The “exclusivity” of the Greeks and the “greatness” of their past are emphasized in every possible way. Recently, due to the aggravation of Greek-Turkish contradictions on the Cyprus issue and around the problem of rights to the oil-bearing continental plume of the Aegean Morai, nationalist anti-Turkish propaganda has been widely deployed in the country. Its artificial revival and incitement of nationalism is intended to shift the attention of the masses from internal affairs to external ones, and to distract them from the struggle to resolve the fundamental problems in the country.

In relation to national minorities (Albanians, Turks, Macedonians), the Greek government pursues a policy of oppression and discrimination. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of representatives of national minorities have an unfriendly attitude not only towards those in power, but also towards the Greeks in general.

The ethnocultural characteristics of the Greeks, their ethnic self-awareness are a powerful regulator not only of the organization of their internal life, but also of relations with other peoples and countries.