One of the most endearing and ancient Greek traditions and explicitly a way of life is ‘philoxenia’, which to this day sets Greece apart as a very special country to visit. Philoxenia is the value of hospitality, literally meaning ‘friend to a stranger’.

There is much more to philoxenia than mere hospitality. Over the millennia the Greek generosity of spirit has become a cultural norm that is deeply rooted in every person in the nation. For Greeks, it is about sharing their lives with others, such as inviting new acquaintances into their homes for a spitiko (home-cooked) meal.

Even today, it’s not uncommon for villagers to stop by a residence where a foreigner is staying and give them local food, such as tomatoes, cheese, spinach pies, olive oil and sometimes, all of the above! It’s not done for selfish reasons, or for self-gratification, Greeks genuinely want to share their culture and customs with foreigners.