Tuesday      Jan 1       New Years Day (Protochronia) 

Sunday       Jan 6        Epiphany (Ton Foton or Epiphaneia) 

Monday       Mar 18     Clean Monday (Kathari Deftera)  

Monday       Mar 25     Independence Day (Tou Evangelismou)

Sunday       May 1       Labour Day (Ergotaki Protomayia) 

Friday         May 3       Good Friday (Megali Paraskevi) 

Sunday       May 5       Easter Sunday (Kyriaki tou Pascha) 

Monday       May 6       Easter Monday (Deftera tou Pascha) 

Monday       Jun 24       Pentecost (Agiou Pneumatos) 

Thursday     Aug 15      Assumption Day (Kimisi tis Theotokou) 

Monday       Oct 28      "Ochi" or "No" Day (Epetios tou Ochi)  

Wednesday  Dec 25     Christmas Day (Xristougenna) 

Thursday      Dec 26     Second Day of Christmas (Synaxis Theotokou) 

(Greek name in parentheses)

Greece is in the Eastern European Time Zone (EET): GMT +2 hours.

Between the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October Greece is in the Eastern European Summer Time Zone (EEST): GMT +3 hours.
 

Start     Sunday March 31   

End      Sunday October 27   

00 30
 

Police: 100
Ambulance: 166
Fire Service: 199
 

Greece adopted the Euro currency on January 2, 2002.
 

The standard in Greece is230V AC (50Hz).

Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adaptor.

There is no visa requirement to enter Greece for citizens of the E.U, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the US.

For a full list of countries exempt from visa requirements for up to 90 days you can consult the Greek Foreign Ministry website at: www.ypex.gov.gr
 

Foreign embassies in Athens

Albania - Vekiareli 7, Filothei   T. 210 6876200
Australia - Kifisias1-3   T. 210 8704000
Austria - Vas. Sofias 4   T. 210 7257270
Belgium - Sekeri 3, Kolonaki   T. 210 3617886
Bulgaria - Stratigou Kallari St, Psyhiko   T. 210 6748106
Canada - Ioannou Gennadiou 4   T. 210 7273400
Cyprus - Herodotou 16   T. 210 7237883
Czech Republic - Seferi 6, Psichiko   T. 210 6719701
France - Vas. Sofias 7, Syntagma T. 210 3391000
Germany - Karaoli & Dimitriou 3, Kolonaki   T. 210 7285111
Hungary - Karneadou 25   T. 210 7256800
China - Krinon 2A, Psichiko   T. 210 6723282
Ireland - Vasileos Konstantinou 5-7   T. 210 7232771
Israel - Marathonodromou 1, Psichiko   T. 210 6719530
Italy - Sekeri 2, Kolonaki   T. 210 3617260
Japan - Papadiamanti 21, Psichiko   T. 210 6709900
Netherlands - Vasileos Konstantinou 5-7   T. 210 7254900
Norway - Vasilissis Sofias 23   T. 210 7246173
Poland - Chryssanthemon 22, Psichiko   T. 210 6797700
Romania - Emmanouil Benaki 7, Psichiko   T. 210 6728875
Russia - Nikiforou Lytra 28, Psichiko   T. 210 6725235
Serbia - Vasilissis Sofias 106   T. 210 7774344
South Africa - Kifisias 60, Marousi   T. 210 6106645
Spain - Dionysiou Areopagitou 21   T. 210 9213123
Sweden - Vasileos Konstantinou 5-7   T. 210 7266100
Switzerland - Lasiou 2   T. 210 7230364
Turkey - Vasileos Georgiou 8   T. 210 7263000
UK - Ploutarhou 1   T. 210 72726000
USA - Vasilissis Sofias 91   T. 210 7212951- 9 

London

Greek Embassy, 1A Holland Park, London W11 3TP
020 7229 3850
www.greekembassy.org.co.uk

Greek/ Hellenic National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), 4 Conduit St, London W1S 2DJ
020 7734 5997
www.gnto.gr
 

Citizens of EC countries should carry form E111, available from the DSS, which entitles them to free emergency medical treatment from Greek health service. Making use of this service involves considerable form filling. It is therefore essential to have a good medical insurance which covers doctors fees, Chemists bills and an emergency flight home if necessary. Any payments for treatment will have to be made on the spot and a proper receipt that gives details of diagnosis and treatment obtained. Your emergency expenses can then be reclaimed on your return home.

To obtain a health book, which entitles you to free treatment from doctors and dentists in the Greek IKA (social security) system, you will need to take your passport and E111 form to the IKA office.

A smoking ban has been in effect since September 2010.
 

Service charge is included in the bill in all restaurants and cafes but if you are pleased with the service it is customary to leave a few euros on the table. Ten percent is considered generous; something around five percent is the most common practice. Tipping is expected in most expensive hotels and taxi drivers will round up the amount themselves when they give you the change, so you shouldn’t worry about this!
 

Greece is the ideal destination to shop for a wide variety of products, catering to everybody’s tastes and wishes.  Prices are very reasonable in relation to product quality and visitors will be able to find something for every budget.

Shops are open Monday through Friday from 09.00 till 14.30 and on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday also from 17.30 through 20.30.  On Saturday shops open from 09.00 till 15.00, while they are closed on Sunday.  Supermarkets and kiosks may stay open till 22.00.

In the centre of large urban areas as well as in tourist areas, tourist shops and kiosks are open from early in the morning till late at night, seven days a week.
 

Mezes: A selection of entrees served in small plates and placed in the centre of the table for sharing among friends

Souvlaki: Traditional Greek Kebab, consisting of meat topped with ‘tzatziki’ sauce and wrapped in warm pita bread.

Gyros: Pork or Chicken donner meat used in ‘Souvlaki’.

Kalamaki: Small wooden skewer with chunks of pork or chicken meat used in ‘sulky’

Tzatziki: Traditional yoghurt, garlic, cucumber and sill dip

Horiatiki: Traditional salad consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers, olives, feta cheese and a generous serving of olive oil, universally known as a Greek Salad.

Horta: Salad composed of certain varieties of boiled wild herbs or greens

Saganaki: Pan- fried type of dish served with lemon. Popular varieties are the shrimp, or ‘garides saganaki’ cheese, or ‘tiri saganaki’ and mussels, or ‘midia saganaki’

Gemista: Oven roasted tomatoes, peppers (and less usually , courgettes and aubergines) stuffed with rice and herbs (and optionally mince meat, pine nuts, raisins)

Gigantes: Giant beans oven roasted in tomatoe and herb sauce

Melitzanosalata: Aubergine salad (dip)

Taramosalata: fish roe salad (dip)

Fava: Chick- Pea dip served with lemon and chopped onion

Soutzoukakia: Spicy meatballs flavoured with cumin and served in a red sauce

Moussakas: Well- known oven baked dish of potatoes, layered with mince meat, aubergines and béchamel sauce

Spanakopita: Traditional spinach pie

Tiropita: Traditional cheese pie

Stifado: Type of meat dish slow- cooked in wine and spices, together with a generous amount of shallots.

Drinks
Ouzo: Traditional aniseed- flavoured spirit usually accompanying seafood ‘mezedes’
Tsipouro: Traditional strong spirit
Raki: Traditional strong spirit similar to tsipouro
Rakomelo: ‘Raki’ blended with honey, served warm
Retsina: Traditional wine flavoured with pine resin
 

In Greece it is the custom to celebrate your name day not your birthday.

So, for instance, if your name is Giorgos, your nameday is April 23rd, Stavros is September 14th, Yannis is January 7th and Andreas is November 30th and so on.

JANUARY
January 1 - New Years Day - Agios Basileios, Vassilis (Basil)
January 6 - Theofania, Theofanis, Fotis, Fanis, Fotini
January 7 - Synaksi Ioannos, Ioannis, Yannis, Giannis (John), Gianna, Janna, Jana
January 8 - Dominikis (Dominique)
January 10 - Grigorios Nussis
January 11 - Theodosios, Thodoris (Theodore)
January 17 - Antonios, Antonia, Antonis (Anthony)
January 18 - Athanasios & Kurillos, Thanassis
January 19 - Makarios
January 20 - Eythimios, Thimios
January 21 - Maximos, Massimos/ Neofytos / Agnis (Agnes)
January 22 - Anastasios / Timothetos, Tassos
January 23 - Agathagellos
January 24 - Xenis, Xeni
January 25 - Grigorios Theologos / Margarita, Grigoris, Grigorios (Gregory)
January 26 - Xenofontos
January 29 - Ignatios
January 30 - Trion Ierarxon
January 31 - Kyros & Ioannos Aaron
   
FEBRUARY
February 1 - Tryfonos
February 2 - Ypapanti tos Sotiros, Sotiri
February 5 - Agathis (Agatha)
February 6 - Voskolos / Fotios
February 7 - Parthenios
February 8 - Zaxarios / Theod. Stratilatos
February 9 - Nikiforos
February 10 - Haralampous, Zinonos, Haralambos, Hara, Hariklia, Haroula
February 11 - Vasios
February 12 - Meletios
February 13 - Akula & Priskillis (Priscilla)
February 14 - Ayxentios, Valentini, St. Valentine
February 15 - Eusevios, Eusebios
February 17 - Theodoros Tironos / Poulcherias
February 18 - Leontos Romis
February 20 - Agathonos / Vissarionos
February 22 - Anthi (Anthea)
February 23 - Polykarpos
February 23 - Nestoros
February 25 - Tarasios
February 26 - Porfyros, Sevastianos (Sebastian), Fotini
   
MARCH
March 1 - Marias Aigyptias, Efdokias / Tis Tyrofagos
March 2 - Efthalias
March 3 - Kleonikos
March 5 - Kononos
March 7 - Laurentios (Laurens, Laura)
March 8 - Theofylaktos
March 16 - Xristodosios
March 17 - Alexios, Alexia, Alexis (Alex)
March 18 - Kyrillos
March 19 - Xrysanthos, Chrisantos
March 21 - Iakovos (Jacob)
March 25 - Evagelismos tis Theotokos, Evagelos, Eva, Vangelis
March 27 - Ilarionos, Lydia
March 31 - Ypatios

APRIL
April 6 - Eftyxios
April 15 - Leonidas (Leo)
April 23 - Ag. Georgios, Giorgos, Giorgis, Yorgos (George) - if  April 23 falls on Easter Sunday or in the week before it then it is celebrated on the first Monday after Easter Sunday.
April 24 - Elisabet (Elisabeth, Lisa, Lies)
April 25 - Marcos (Mark)
April 28 - Panayotis, Panagiotis, Panos, Panagiota, Pigi (this date changes each year)

MAY
May 2 - Zoodochos Pigis
May 3 - Timotheos (Timothy, Tim)
May 5 - Eirinis, Irini (Irene)
May 6 - Serafim
May 7 - Akakios
May 9 - Christoforos (Chris)
May 10 - Simonos (Simon)
May 11 - Kyrillos & Methodos
May 13 - Sergios, Glykerias, Glykeria (Sergio)
May 15 - Paxomios
May 17 - Andronikos
May 18 - Ioulias, Ioulia (Julia, July, Julie)
May 19 - Menandrios
May 21 - Konstantinos & Elenis, Konstantinos, Kostas, Thina, Kostathina, Eleni (Helen, Tina, Dina)
May 27 - Ioannos Rosos
May 28 - Tis Analipseos
May 29 - Theodosias
May 30 - Isaakios (Isaac)
   
JUNE
June 2 - Nikiforos
June 4 - Marthas & Marias, Martha
June 5 - Dorotheos (Dorothea, Dorothy)
June 7 - Sevastianis (Sebastian)
June 8 - Kalliopis, Kalliopi
June 11 - Vartholomaios, Varnava (Barbara)
June 19 - Paisios
June 22 - Zinonos
June 29 - Petros & Paulos, Petros, Pavlos (Peter, Paul, Pavel)
June 30 - Synaksi ton 12 Apostolon, Apostolis, Apostolos

JULY
July 1 - Kosma & Damianos (Damian)
July 3 - Yakinthos
July 7 - Kuriakis, Kiriaki
July 8 - Theofilos, Prokopios
July 9 - Pagratios
July 11 - Eufimias, Olgas (Olga)
July 12 - Veronikis (Veronica)
July 14 - Nikodimos
July 16 - Athinogenoss
July 17 - Marinas, Marina
July 18 - Aimilianos (Emile, Emilie)
July 20 - Profiti Elia, Ilias
July 22 - Marias Magdalinis, Magdalini, Magda, Magdalena, Lena
July 26 - Parakseuis
July 27 - Panteleimonos, Pantelis
July 29 - Kallinikos
July 31 - Iosif Arimatheias, Iosif, Sifi
(Joseph, Jozef, Joost)
   
AUGUST
August 6 - Sotiris, Sotiria
August 7 - Asterios, Asteria
August 15 - Assumption Day - Koimisis tis Theotokos, Maria, Despina, Thespina, Marios
August 24 - Kosma tos Aitolos
August 26 - Andrianos & Natalias, Adrianos, Nathalia, Natalia (Adrian)
August 27 - Fanourios, Fanouria
August 30 - Alexandros, Alexandra
(Alexandra, Sandra, Sander, Alexander, Alex)
   
SEPTEMBER
September 1 - Simeon
September 3 - Anthimos
September 4 - Moisi, Ermionis
September 5 - Zaxarios, Zacharias
September 8 - Gennisi tis Theotokos
September 9 - Ioakeim & Annis (Joachim)
September 11 - Evathia (Eve, Eva)
September 13 - Kornilios, Aristeidos, Kornilia
September 14 - Ypsosi tos Timios Stauros, Stavros (Steven), Stavroula
September 15 - Nikita
September 16 - Eyfimias
September 17 - Sofias, Pisteos, Agapis, Elpidas, Sofia, Agapi, Elpida
September 18 - Eumenios, Ariadnis (Ariadne)
September 20 - Eustathios, Stathis
September 22 - Fokas
September 23 - Sullipsi Prodromos
September 24 - Theklas, Thekla
September 25 - Eyfrosinis
September 26 - Metastasi Ioannos Euaggelistos
September 27 - Kallistratos
September 29 - Kuriakos, Kiriakos

OCTOBER
October 1 - Ananios / Pomanos Melodos
October 2 - Kuprianos / Iosstiounis
October 3 - Dionisios Aeropagitos, Dionisos
October 4 - Ierotheos
October 5 - Xaritinis
October 6 - Thoma (Thomas, Tom)
October 7 - Poluxronios
October 8 - Pelagias, Pelagia
October 9 - Iakovos (Jakob)
October 10 - Eulampios
October 15 - Loskianos
October 18 - Loska, Loskas (Lucas, Luke)
October 19 - Kleopatras
October 20 - Artemios / Gerasimos Kefallinias, Yerasimos
October 21 - Sokratous, Sokrates, Sokratis
October 23 - Iakovos (Jacob)
October 24 - Sevastianis (Sebastian)
October 26 - Dimitrios Myrovlitos, Dimitris, Dimitrios, Dimitria (Jim, James)
October 27 - Nestoros
October 28 - Agias Skepis
October 30 - Zinovios
   
NOVEMBER
November 1 - Ag. Anarron/ Kosma & Damianos, Anargiros, Argiris, Kosmas, Damianos (Damian)
November 8 - Mixael & Gavriel, Mixalis, Michail, Michali, Angelos, Stamatis, Stamos (Michael, Angelo, Gabriel)
November 9 - Nektarios
November 11 - Mina / Viktoros (Victor, Vic)
November 13 - Ioannos Xrysostomos
November 14 - Filippos, Philippos (Philip)
November 16 - Mathaios (Matthias)
November 18 - Platonos
November 21 - Eisodia tis Theotokos, Despina, Maria (unmarried)
November 22 - Filimonos (Filemon)
November 25 - Merkourios / Aikaterinis, Katerina (Catherine)
November 26 - Stulianos, Stella, Stelios, Stylianos
November 27 - Nathanail
November 30 - Andrea, Andreas (Andrew, André)
   
DECEMBER
December 1 - Theoklitos
December 2 - Muropis
December 4 - Varvaras, Barbara
December 5 - Savva, Savas, Diogenes
December 6 - Nikolaos, Nikos (Nicolas, Nick, Niek)
December 7 - Amvrosios, Ambrosius
December 9 - Agias Annis, Anna
December 12 - Spuridonos, Spiros
December 13 - Eustratios / Loskias, Stratos, Stratis, Lukia
December 15 - Eleutherios, Elefterios, Lefteris
December 17 - Daniel / Dionysios Zakunthos, Dionysos
December 18 - Sevastianos & Zois (Sebastian)
December 19 - Aglaias
December 20 - Ignatios
December 21 - Themistokleous, Ioulia, Julia, Julie
December 22 - Anastasias, Anastasia
December 24 - Eugenias, Evyenia, Efgeni, Jefgeni, Yefgeni
December 25 - Christmas Day, Christos, Chrisa, Chrisanthi, Christina
December 26 - Emmanouil / Synaksi Theotokos, Manolis, Manuella, Emma
December 27 - Stefanos, Stephania (Steven, Stephan, Stefania)
 

Official country name: Hellenic Republic
Population: (2001 census) 10.9 million
Total territory: 131,944 sq Km (51,458 sq mi)
Athens population: 3.8 million
Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, 1.5% Muslim
Political system : Parliamentary democracy
GDP per capita: $ 33,400 (2008)
Inflation rate: 1%
Unemployment rate: 8%
Highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917m
Length of coastline: 15,021 km
 

The Hellenic Republic is a presidential parliamentary democracy.

President of the Hellenic Republic is Mr Karolos Papoulias.

Prime Minister is Mr  Georgios Papandreou

The Greek government is similar to the model found in many Western democracies. The prime minister and cabinet are responsible for making national and international policy.

The president, whose powers are mostly ceremonial, is elected by parliament for a 5-year term and is eligible for re-election for only one additional term. His powers include declaring war and concluding agreements of peace, alliance, and representing Greece in international organizations. However, the cabinet must countersign any emergency powers exercised by the president. The constitution does not allow the president to dissolve parliament, dismiss the government, or suspend articles of the constitution.

Members of the Greek parliament are elected by secret ballot to 4-year terms; however, elections can be called before their term is up. To prevent political parties from dividing and to ensure there is always a parliamentary majority, Greece uses a complex proportional representation electoral system. A party must obtain at least 3 percent of the total national vote to qualify for parliamentary seats.

There are 5 main political parties operating in Greece: New Democracy (ND), the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) and the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS).

Since 1 Jan 2011 Greece  is divided into 74 peripheral units  or administrative units. They are subdivisions of the country's 13 peripheries, and are further subdivided into municipalities. They were introduced as part of the "Kallikratis" administrative reform and are comparable in size and often coterminous with the pre-"Kallikratis" prefectures of Greece.

The Greek National Tourist Organisation has produced a number of interesting brochures that you can download.

Click on the brochure you want

• Crete (pdf: 12 MB)
• Cyclades (pdf: 16 MB)
• Dodecanese (pdf: 9 MB)
• The Ionian Islands (pdf: 9 MB)
• The Islands of the North Eastern Aegean (pdf: 7MB)
• The Peloponnesse (pdf: 9MB