Culture and Customs of Greece

293 Pages·2009·33.69 MB·English

by  Artemis Leontis

P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
Culture and Customs of Greece
i
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
Greece.CartographybyBookcomp,Inc.
ii
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
Culture and Customs of Greece
ARTEMIS LEONTIS
CultureandCustomsofEurope
GREENWOODPRESS
(cid:1)
Westport,Connecticut London
iii
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Leontis,Artemis.
CultureandcustomsofGreece/ArtemisLeontis.
p. cm.—(CultureandcustomsofEurope)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–313–34296–7(alk.paper)
1.Greece—Sociallifeandcustoms—21stcentury. 2.Greece—Civilization.
3.Popularculture—Greece. I.Title.
DF741.L46 2009
949.5—dc22 2008051962
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright(cid:1)C 2009byArtemisLeontis
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2008051962
ISBN:978–0–313–34296–7
Firstpublishedin2009
GreenwoodPress,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.greenwood.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
iv
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
Contents
SeriesForeword vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Chronology xiii
1 TheLand,People,andHistory 1
2 Religion 31
3 Society 51
4 Leisure,Holidays,andtheGreekTable 75
5 LanguageandLiterature 101
6 MusicandDance 135
7 Media,Theater,andCinema 163
8 ArchitectureandArt 197
v
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
vi CONTENTS
Glossary 227
SelectedBibliography 233
Index 253
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
Series Foreword
The Old World and the New World have maintained a fluid exchange of
people,ideas,innovations,andstyles.EventhoughtheUnitedStatesbecame
thedefactoworldleaderandeconomicsuperpowerinthewakeofadevastated
EuropeinWorldWarII,Europehasremainedformanythestandardbearer
ofWesternculture.
Millions of Americans can trace their ancestors to Europe. The United
States as we know it was built on waves of European immigration, starting
withtheEnglishwhobravedtheseastofoundtheJamestownColonyin1607.
BosnianandAlbanianimmigrantsaresomeofthelatestnewAmericans.
IntheGildedAgeofoneofourgreatexpatriates,thenovelistHenryJames,
theGrandTourofEuropewasderigueurforyoungAmericanmenofmeans,
topreparethemforalifeofrefinementandtaste.Inamorerecentdemocratic
age,scoresofAmericancollegestudentshaveEurailedtheirwayacrossGreat
Britain and the Continent, sampling the fabled capitals and bergs in a mad,
greatadventure,orhavebenefitedfromasemesterabroad.ForotherAmerican
vacationersandculturevultures,Europeistheprimedestination.
What is the New Europe post–Cold War, post Berlin Wall in a new mil-
lennium?Evenwiththedifferentlanguages,rhythms,andrituals,Europeans
have much in common: they are largely well educated, prosperous, and
worldly. They also have similar goals and face common threats and form
alliances. With the advent of the European Union, the open borders, and
the Euro and considering globalization and the prospect of a homogenized
Europe,anupdatedsurveyoftheregioniswarranted.
vii
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
viii SERIESFOREWORD
CultureandCustomsofEuropefeaturesindividualvolumesonthecoun-
tries most studied and for which fresh information is in demand from stu-
dentsandotherreaders.TheSeriescastsawidenet,inclusiveofnotonlythe
expected countries, such as Spain, France, England, and Germany, but also
countriessuchasPolandandGreecethatlieoutsideWesternEuropeproper.
Eachvolumeiswrittenbyacountryspecialist,withintimateknowledgeofthe
contemporarydynamicsofapeopleandculture.Sustainednarrativechapters
covertheland,people,andbriefhistory;religion;socialcustoms;genderroles,
family,andmarriage;literatureandmedia;performingartsandcinema;and
artandarchitecture.Thenationalcharacterandongoingpopulartraditionsof
eachcountryareframedinanhistoricalcontextandcelebratedalongwiththe
latesttrendsandmajorculturalfigures.Acountrymap,chronology,glossary,
andevocativephotosenhancethetext.
ThehistoriedandenlightenedEuropeanswillcontinuetofascinateAmeri-
cans.Ourfuturesarestronglylinkedpolitically,economically,andculturally.
P1:TVJ
GNWD124-FM GR4296/Leontis TopMargin:0.62733in GutterMargin:0.7528in February26,2009 14:47
Preface
Everydaythesunrisesonthespeakersofalanguageasfabledforitslongevity
as its difficulty. These people stand poised to do many things, but perhaps
nothing with greater enthusiasm than speak Greek. A language with more
than3,200yearsofdocumentedhistory,Greekintheirmouthstakestheshape
ofbroadvowels,staccatoconsonants,longwords,andendlessexpressivepos-
sibilities.AlthoughGreekusersvaluetheirlanguage’scommunicativepower,
they are also deeply aware, with each proud syllable they dispatch, that they
arekeepinganoldlanguagealive.SomeevenclaimthatGreeceexistsforthis
purpose, to preserve Greek: “Greek the language they gave me /...My only
caremylanguageonHomer’sshores.”1
Greeks care deeply about their language. In the past they even sacrificed
livesoverlanguagedisagreements.Today’slanguagedebatesdon’treachquite
thatpitch,yetquestionsfly:Doesn’ttextmessagingimpoverishyoungpeople’s
communication skills? Must people translate older texts into today’s Greek?
Shouldn’t children learn ancient Greek at a younger age? How threatening
areforeignlexicalimportssuchase-mailordebatetotheintegrityofGreek?
WillGreece’srecentimmigrantslearnGreekorremainforeverGreece’slatest
varvaroi(barbarians,speakersofbar-bar,orgibberish)?Witheachpassingday,
people feel the survival of their culture is on the line, and the least they can
doistoargueaboutitinbeautifullyarticulatedGreek.
Greekculturepresentsmanythemes.Urbanizationisone,withAthenstak-
ingcenterstageinthecountry’sdevelopmentandconsequentlyinthisbook.
AthensishometoalmosthalfofGreece’spopulationandistheadministrative
ix