Superstition

Visiting Zakynthos last week I was totally enchanted by the beautiful Greek Island and it’s people. I have very rarely met a more friendly and welcoming host.

The Island has amazing landscapes and glorious clear blue waters. Apart from the usual good food, sandy beaches, swimming pool and evening’s entertainment I was captivated by the Greek culture and it’s similarities to my own Indian culture. They are very family orientated and religion plays a big part in their every day life with 98% of the islands population devoted to the Greek Orthodox faith.

As with Indian culture superstition also plays an important role within their lives. When a Greek buys a new property, business, or builds an extension to their house they have it blessed by a priest. Garlic can be seen hanging in most business and homes to ward off the evil eye.

When paying a Greek a compliment you must pretend to spit on them three times to ward of the evil eye otherwise they worry that something bad will happen to the object that was complimented. For example if I admired a Greek’s new car, I would need to feign spitting on the car otherwise the owner would fear the car getting damaged. Wearing blue charms in the shape of an eye is another way to ward of the evil eye.

Carrying bat bones is seen as very lucky but a bat must not be killed as this is bad luck. As they are a very religious people, priests are revered but it is seen as bad luck if one is met in the street. If this does happen then the word ‘garlic’ must be whispered under ones breath. There are many more superstitions but most of them can be overcome by the saying the word ‘garlic’.

Superstitions common with the Western world include black cats and the number 13 (because of the thirteenth guest at Christ’s Last Supper), and superstitions common with Indian culture include upside down placed shoes which are seen as very bad luck and an omen that death is close.

There are many more Greek superstitions which I will not mention but to me this indicates that Greek people are very religious and have a good fear of the Gods. What I mean by good fear is that they strive to live a good an honest life for fear that otherwise the Gods will be cross with them.

To finish off I will mention just one more Greek superstition which rather made me chuckle,  if you fall asleep under a Cypress tree it will steal your brains.