Here are some fun facts about Greece that you probably don't know.
1. In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name rather than their own birthday.
2. The first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. The first Olympic champion was a Greek cook named Coroebus who won the sprint race.
3. Greek has been spoken for more than 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest languages in Europe. Impress the locals by learning some useful Greek travel phrases before arriving.
4. The British poet Lord Byron (1788-1824) was so enamoured with the Greeks that he travelled to Greece to fight against the Turks in the Greek War of Independence.
5. The Greeks would sacrifice one hundred bulls to Zeus during each Olympics.
6. If you work in Greece you are entitled to at least one month of paid holidays every year.
7. Greece’s currency, the drachma, was 2,650 years old and Europe’s oldest currency. The drachma was replaced with the Euro in 2002.
8. In 1453 A.D., Greece fell to the Ottoman Empire. Greece wouldn’t be free again until 1829
9. The word “tragedy” is Greek for “goat-song” because early Greek tragedies honoured Dionysus, the god of wine, and the players wore goatskins.
10. Greece has one of the lowest divorce rates in the EU.
11. Rhodes is the most popular locations for tourists attracting around 2.6 million international visitors per year. This really is one of the most spectacular islands in Greece.
12. The saying “taking the bull by its horns” comes from the Greek myth of Hercules saving Crete from a raging bull by seizing its horns.
13. Greece has the largest maritime fleet in the world.
14. Santa Claus is Greek. St Nicholas was a rich Greek that used to donate his money to the poor.
15. The word Lesbian, was derived from the female warriors living in the island of Lesbos.
16. Greeks love to dance and have more than 63 folk dances.
17. The National Anthem contains 158 verses- no one has memorized all 158.
18. In ancient times married women could be put to death for watching the Olympic Games.
19. The yo-yo is the second oldest known toy in the world was born over 3,000 years ago in the days of ancient Greece.
20. There are over 6000 islands that make up the spectacular Greek Isles.
21. There are 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to see in Greece. Some of the most famous attractions you can visit on tours of Greece include The Acropolis of Athens, The Archaeological Site of Olympia, The Archeological Site of Delphi, The Island Delos, Medieval City of Rhodes, Mount Athos and the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus. This really are some of the best historical attractions in Greece.
22. If you like warm weather you will love Greece. This is one of the sunniest places in the world with islands like Rhodes averaging around 300 days of sun every year!
