When I visit a Greek home, why do I get treated like a king? Spoon sweets, meze platters, and Greek specialty dishes get pushed towards me, appearing out of nowhere. I get endless questions about my life (some highly personal, in the best possible way), and a number of gifts to take home. Is there a historical reason why Greeks are so hospitable?
Hospitality in Ancient Greece
Ancient hospitality was considered a sacred duty similar to a religious sacrifice. Strangers who showed up to the home of a local could be a god in disguise, and were there to test the hospitality of the homeowner. Some Ancient Greeks believed that Zeus was the strangers’ god. So, if you didn’t offer hospitality, Zeus could punish you.
According to Zeus’s law of hospitality, the host needed to feed, entertain, and offer a bath to travelers, also giving them a gift at the end of the stay. The guest’s job was not to be a burden, and to accept the hospitality with grace.
Hospitality in the Classical Era
Fast forward to the fifth century BC, when the Ancient Greeks traded among its city states. Certain wealthy Greek citizens were hosts for foreign ambassadors. They would show hospitality to the ambassador during their visit, expecting the same treatment when the roles were reversed. The system was called “proxeny.”
In Ancient Greek plays by Euripides, guests could use a special coin and redeem it when they wanted hospitality in another city in the future.
Hospitality in Greece Today
For Greeks, the offering of food and drink is a show of love. It is not unusual to arrive at a home for an “afternoon coffee” and find a full dinner feast in front of you. Dishes seem to appear out of thin air – the comforting smells of authentic pastitsio (Greek lasagna), Greek meatballs, dolmathes (stuffed vine leaves), and gemista (stuffed peppers). Someone may even take the role of shoveling food into your plate.
In villages, it is not strange for a villager to bring a foreign resident (or even a visitor renting a home in town) a sack of fruit or a bottle of olive oil.
Greeks Paying For Your Dinner
One common show of hospitality of Greeks towards foreigners (besides the obvious offering of food) is to pay for a dinner bill. To many foreigners, this can feel shocking or make them feel uncomfortable. In other western European countries, bills were usually split between all the diners.
The clever response from Greeks is usually “you can pay for me when I visit you”. Let’s be honest, what are the chances your Greek host is going to visit you in the Netherlands, in Belgium, in the United States, or an even more faraway place from Greece?
Mistrust of the Greek Government
Greeks have a history of doubting power and not trusting the state, and this contributes to their hospitality. In general, Greeks believe that the authorities will not always look out for their best interest, and as a result they look to their local neighbors for help. Neighbourly connections are vital in Greece, and this tradition continues, especially in the country’s small villages.
The Future of Greek Hospitality
If you’ve ever traveled to a popular Greek island like Santorini or Mykonos, it’s easy to feel like you are swimming in a sea of tourists in the summer. Does the reality of millions of tourists visiting Greece every year mean that Greece’s hospitality will slowly decline? Maybe the Greek hospitality will be “diluted” and a smaller amount of hospitality will be available per visitor?
Even with the millions of tourists visiting Greece every year, Greeks show no signs of tiring. They still show the same hospitality to foreigners — including random acts of kindness, a free ouzo, a dessert after a meal, and help with directions. The best part is that there is always a smile to accompany it.
