When do greeks break plates

The first day of the month symbolises new beginnings and a fresh start. When you say Kalo Mina to someone, you are wishing them a good month full of success. The Mati is believed to be a curse which has been cast onto you by someone who is envious or jealous of you. It is believed that to protect yourself from the Mati, you need to wear a charm. The most famous Greek charm against the Mati is the famous shades of blue piece of glass with an eye painted on it.

A tradition that only Greeks will understand is the idea that spitting chases the devil away, and stops anything evil happening to you. However, the idea that Greeks actually spit is false.

One of the most entertaining traditions of Greeks is smashing plates. Smashing plates is done by Greeks to express joy and happiness, or to express their delight for music being played at a party. In , smashing plates was banned at concerts in clubs, being replaced by flowers instead.

However, it is a huge tradition at celebratory occasions such as weddings, and breaking plates is looked at as an expression of joy. It was once believed that a celebration could draw the attention of some bad energy, or even worse, some nasty spirits. To ward off evil spirits that might wreak havoc on a newly married couple, smashing a few plates was considered to serve as camouflage. The violence of plate breaking was to serve as an indicator that the event was, in fact, not happy.

Curiously, the act of creating noise or sounds to ward off evil is quite common in cultures around the world. For example, the act of hanging a set of wind chimes is not just about creating peaceful sounds on your patio.

Ringing bells were believed to frighten away witches. There was also a tradition of breaking the plate of a deceased person. In the past plates or glasses were thrown into the hearth following a banquet instead of being washed and reused. Eventually plate smashing demonstrated a devil-may-care attitude because of abundance as well as celebratory spirit.

The individual was comfortable enough that plates could be broken because there was plenty. The dinnerware could be tossed and broken as it could be easily replaced.

The action tells the world: We have so much to eat and so many dishes that we can toss away our resources. Accompanied by the music for the dance as plates are smashed there is also a particular word associated with the action. In dedicated plate smashing sessions, it means pay attention.

The word is so embedded in the ritual that when you hear the word Opa! This practice, paired with dancing and live music, is symbolic of Greek celebrations. By the military dictatorship of Georgios Papadopoulos, which had suspended democracy and ruled Greece autocratically from to , banned plate smashing in nightclubs. Flying shards of pottery were dangerous, so plate smashing was outlawed in the taverns and nightclubs of Greece.

In the spirit of smashing plates a variation on the custom was introduced using flowers. Diners at small Greek restaurants or tavernas were able to buy trays of flowers that they could throw at singers and each other in fun and celebration. Since specially-produced plaster plates have been used. There were 53 manufacturers of plaster plates in the northern city of Thessaloniki in those heady times. This makes things difficult since you arrive on saturday.

You could, though, make reservations for you and your group for the evening you get back from Hydra. Otherwise there are other excellent tavernas I could recommend which are without music but serve excellent food at very reasonable prices, and then I could recommend other excellent tavernas which have the touristy entertainment, ie.