17 Things You Should Never Do or Say in Greece

With a number of stunning churches and monasteries, tourists are bound to enter a church. Be aware of the dress code: long shorts or trousers for men, long skirts for women, and no swimming suits. In some instances, women will be given a wrap. Religious or not, try to stick to this rule as much as possible.

Credits are convenient, for sure, but Greece loves cash. While you may have no problems paying by card at hotels and big restaurants, this may not be the case in more remote areas, or less touristy islands, or in more traditional tavernas, so always make sure to have enough cash on hand. Otherwise, make a trip to the nearest ATM.

In a country where close to half of the population smokes, it is not surprising that the indoor smoking ban hasn’t worked. Thankfully, with Greece’s sunny climate, there’s rarely a need to be stuck in a smoky enclosed space. But if you happen to be in one, avoid coughing or raising your eyebrow to make the smoker stop. If you really can’t stand it for any reason, simply politely ask the person if they could move away.

In Greece, especially in the Aegean islands near the Turkish border, taking photos of military facilities is simply forbidden. Avoid any trouble with the authorities by respecting this rule.

Hear us out. Every single toilet in Greece is equipped with a trash can, so avoid clogging the outdated sewage pipes (remember, Greece is an old country) with paper and throw it in the trash instead.

Athenians are very proud of their metro. This recent innovation (which posed many troubles during construction) is definitely superb compared to many other capitals, and that’s because Athenians have learned to respect it. If there is one place Greeks follow the rules, it is in the metro. As such, they will never eat or drink in it (though water is allowed, of course), and they expect tourists to do the same.

The moutza is an insulting hand gesture that consists of extending every finger while thrusting the palm forward towards someone’s face.

Unless stated otherwise, do not attempt to touch any exhibit at archaeological sites or in museums. Most will be protected by a glass window or have specific rules (no touching, no flash photography). When in doubt, ask the staff.

Guests are always served a bread basket before a meal. Don’t ask for butter as the bread is meant to be dipped in the salad bowl. Greeks usually avoid double dipping by tearing off chunks of bread every time before dipping. Go ahead and try it—we’re pretty sure you won’t be asking for butter anymore.

Even if you’re feeling homesick or nostalgic at some point, do not eat at a fast food joint from back home. Greece is known around the world for its delicious and healthy cuisine, and it would be sad to pass on the opportunity to discover Greek cuisine.

This may or may not shock you depending on what part of the world you come from, eating from a main plate (with utensils) is common practice in Greece. Of course, if you have a meal in a proper restaurant, you will have your own plate but Greeks, as social as they are, enjoy sharing a series of small portions of food all together, which certainly contributes to strengthening bonds.

Yes, Greeks tend to use a lot of oil when cooking. In fact, it is said that Greeks consume about 23 liters a year. It may seem much, but olive oil has many antioxidants and is said to be one of the best sources of the good monounsaturated fat. Since the Greek diet mostly consist of vegetables, the amount of oil is balanced out with the amount of vegetables eaten. Plus, olive oil is one of the main reasons why the food is so delicious, so if you are worried about calories, remember that there is always some leftover oil on the plate once you’re done so you are not ingesting all of them.

Ok, please bear with us for a second before saying something. It is not offensive or insulting to ask for ketchup in a taverna. It is simply unusual for many. In Greece, Greek food, and especially fried potatoes, is not eaten with ketchup, as this is a ‘recent’ export in the last 40 years. While you will easily find them in fast food chains and other more ‘westernized’ restaurants, tavernas, where food tends to be traditional, don’t use ketchup. Now, of course, since tourism is a very important sector, it is not rare to find tavernas in urban areas highly frequented by tourists where they will bring you ketchup if you ask for it, but eating fries with it while enjoying traditional food is weird for Greeks.

If all this talk of food is making you hungry, be sure to book the best Greece food tours to make the most of your trip.

While there is a tiny portion of the Greek population that worship the ancient gods and fight for the restoration of the ancient Greek polytheist religion, the majority of the nation does not. Greece is a predominantly Greek Orthodox country, while a few other faiths coexist in small portions.

More than an offense, this is more a cultural issue. Traditionally, Greeks do not name their newborns before they are baptized. Before that special day, the baby is referred to as ‘bebe’, if it’s a boy or ‘beba’ if it’s a girl.

This is connected to the point above. Even if there is a slight difference in the way the coffee is made, a simple rule of thumb in that case would be to say Greek coffee when in Greece and Turkish coffee when in Turkey.

Now let us tackle a strong stereotype common. The idea, recently strengthened with the economic crisis, that Greeks are lazy is unfounded. A simple look at statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that Greeks actually work the longest hours in Europe (with 40 hours per week in 2013, while the EU average is set at 37.2). Furthermore, Greeks tend to take fewer holidays than Germans, Italians or Swedes. One of the reasons that could explain this myth is that Greeks are very social and spend a lot of time outside. They enjoy taking their time when socializing over coffee. You should also remember that the 9 to 5 work schedule is more predominant in private companies and offices while civil servants or people working in the food industry tend to start and end earlier.