Greek Superstitions: They Don’t Really Believe That Do They?

Greece lies at the southeastern edge of Europe and is bordered by Yugoslavia and Bulgaria on the north, and Turkey on the northeast. The beautiful Aegean Sea is on the east, the Mediterranean Sea on the south, and the Ionian Sea on the west. There are more than 400 Greek islands, of which 149 are inhabited. Greece is beautiful, culturally rich, ancient and full of superstitions that are still practiced by many residents to this day.

 

The Evil Eye

The evil eye superstition is common in many cultures throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey, Arabia, Greece and even India. The evil eye, also known as “Matiasma,” is one of the oldest beliefs in Greece dating back to the 6th century BC. Even the Greek Orthodox Church believes in the evil eye and calls it “Vaskania.”

The superstition behind the evil eye is the belief that people can harm you, your family, your fruit trees or even your livestock by simply looking at them with envy and praising them. If someone gives you the evil eye, it is thought that you will feel bad both physically and psychologically. To ward off the evil eye, Greeks wear a blue glass eye charm is worn. These charms hang off of their necks and wrists to confound the evil eye. It is also thought that when people with blue eyes pay you a compliment it could bring disastrous results. Garlic is also thought to defend the evil eye and some people hang it in their homes. The cactus plant is also thought to bring a measure of protection, and many Greeks have at least one cactus in their homes.

Sneezing

Greek superstition says that if you sneeze, someone else is speaking about you where you cannot hear. If you are curious and want to find out who it is, you can ask someone around you to give you a 3-digit number. Count each digit down the alphabet. When you hit the last letter, this is the first initial of the person who has been doing the talking. If you know a lot of people with that initial, you may have your work cut out for you.

No Empty Pockets

Greeks believe that money attract more money. Because of this belief, they never leave their pockets, wallets or purses with some money. They do not take all the money out of their bank accounts either. When they give gifts of wallets or purses they always put some money in them first.

 

Overturned Shoes

In some areas in Greece, overturned shoes are thought to be an omen of death. If your shoes are turned upside down, it is imperative that you turn them right side immediately and say “Skorda,” which means garlic in Greek.

Knives

When someone asks for a knife, Greeks do not pass it directly to their hand. They believe that if the other person takes if from their hand that they will have an argument. Instead, they place the knife close to the other person and allow them to pick it up.

 

Superstitions have long been a part of the human race and have been passed on by generation to generation. While many people will just laugh at a superstition, others take them very seriously. There is no doubt that many of these interesting Greek superstitions, that have survived the test of time, will persist well into the future.

 

About the Author: Susan Patterson is a homeschool mother who values teaching her children about other cultures, languages and traditions. She recently wrote an article about how to learn Spanish.