Messages of hope from the Greek popular wisdom

22 Mar

Today’s post is a little bit of family history, a little bit of diving into the Greek psyche and a little bit of hope & support. Stay safe and healthy.

What I remember of my grandmother is that she always wore black. A black dress, a black head scarf, as the ones you might have seen in small Greek villages or in postal cards. She was always dressed this way, until she died, at the age of 93.

She was a wonderful artisan. She crocheted white tablecloths and summer blankets for her daughters’ and her granddaughters’ προίκα (dowry). I vividly remember the white tablecloth against her black appearance, getting longer and longer. Every day. Stitch by stitch.

As all women before her, my grandmother, Anastasia, knew patience. And determination.

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It’s back to her and her teachings I’m taking myself now, because I feel that I need them more than ever.

As I spend hours of reading and watching the news about the new coronavirus - my family and I are in self - isolation - I go back to how my grandmother lived her life, what kind of hardship she sustained and how she never gave up.

An incredible thing about her is that she learned to read and write on her own, up in the mountains, while she herded the few family’s goats. This was at a time when it was considered unacceptable for little village girls to go to school.

She lived through 4 wars: the Balkan war, the first and second World War and the Greek Civil War. She lived during the Spanish flu pandemic. She made it through 2 dictatorships. She was put in jail for her political beliefs.

She raised 4 children during the Civil War, in which she lost her husband. She chose to remain a widow, for the rest of her life. She then survived pneumonia but lost her hearing. She abandoned her life in the untamed Epirus mountains to live at a tiny rented room in Athens, where her younger children had better chances to education and work.

She was a fighter. As were the people of her generation. As all people try to be, in times of war, of famine, of sickness.

While I’m just sitting here in my nice and cozy apartment in Athens, I know that this virus has caused great pain to people and families across the globe. And the social isolation we all experience, even in the form of “social distancing” isn’t something to take lightly.

It’s our own hardship to go through, apart from the fear of being seriously infected with the new virus or losing someone we love.

From my grandmother, I’ve learned that life can be extremely hard. I’ve learned that the things I, as a child in the 80s, had taken for granted, in fact they were not.

For example, one of the most common wishes we have in Greek is “να ζήσεις” , “να σου ζήσει” or “να ζήσετε”, said in birthdays, name days, baptisms and weddings. It reflects just that: a wish for you or your new baby, the newly wed couple “to live!”, because, many decades ago, it was clear that a long, healthy life could not be guaranteed.

This is what I wanted to write about and offer you today: Some of the most common wishes, messages of hope, little “drops” of popular wisdom most Greeks have grown up with. To honour our elder and to keep our hopes high. To do our best with what we can control. And find peace with the things we can’t control.

You can learn a couple of these phrases to use next time you message your Greek friend. Or you can just read them to learn more about the connection of Greeks to life, fate, religion, just to name a few of these messages.

Whether you’re in self-isolation at your house, away from your grandchildren and the people you love;

- Caring for a sick loved one;

- Being in a quarantine zone;

- Getting extremely worried by today’s news;

- Facing financial insecurity;

- Feeling loneliness;

- Being ill yourself;

- Working hard as a doctor or nurse or at any position at a hospital;

- Working hard at any position while trying to keep yourself and your loved ones safe through this pandemic,

...do remember that we are, indeed, all together in this.

Some of my grandmother’s favourite expressions:

Να ’μαστε καλά. All of us to be well.

A Greek says this when they feel gratitude for something or when they wish to avoid a bad situation.

Να κάνετε τον Σταυρό σας. To pray / make the Cross symbol (Greek Orthodox).

This is said in order to avoid something bad from happening.

Τι είναι ο άνθρωπος; What is (to be) a human?

This question is said when someone realizes or acknowledges the vulnerability of being human.

Περαστικοί είμαστε. We’re passers-by.

Again this is said to acknowledge the fleeting nature of life.

Υγεία πάνω απ’ όλα. Health above anything else.

Many Greeks say this a lot, to appreciate the gift of good health.

Όλα τα καλά του Θεού να έχετε. May you have all the good that God gives.

My grandmother used to say this a lot and many Greeks still say it often. It is a blessing, a wish to another person.

Σάμπως ξέρουμε τι μας είναι γραμμένο; As though we know what is written* for us?

This is a very interesting phrase. Greeks believe that fate is written, this is why you’ll see words such as *το γραφτό, το γραμμένο < γράφω, which both mean fate or destiny. As a question, it means that no one knows the future.

Some of the most common Greek wishes for health:

Περαστικά! May this is something that will pass (for health matters).

In Greek, περαστικός - περαστική - περαστικό < περνάω is the passer by or anything that passes, that goes away and also the ephemeral. Similarly, περαστικά is an adjective. You wish to a person being unwell, “everything you’re going though, may it is something that will pass”.

Περαστικά κι αγύριστα. May this is something that will pass and never come back (for health matters).

The same wish here, but with an added word: αγύριστος - αγύριστη - αγύριστο < α+γυρίζω , which, as an adjective, means never coming back.

Τα χειρότερα πέρασαν. The worst has passed (is over).

When you acknowledge that the worst that could happen is over.

Σιδερένιος - σιδερένια. Of iron.

I love this wish! When someone is recovering from an illness, you’d say σιδερένιος (masculine) or σιδερένια (feminine) to wish good health (as strong as iron!) from now on.

Να ’ναι καλά ο / η / το και τίποτ’ άλλο. May he/she/the child be well and nothing else (matters).

This is said to appreciate the importance of the health of your loved ones, in otherwise difficult times.

Some of the most common wishes for courage:

Καλό κουράγιο. (Have) a good courage.

If you remember other wishes starting with καλός - καλή - καλό, you know how this adjective is used to start most wishes in Greek.

You’d say this wish when someone is very tired but still has things to do or when facing challenges.

Με το καλό και όλα θα περάσουν. Calling upon the good and everything will pass.

If you say “με το καλό” in Greek, this is a sort of an invocation to all good: good spirit, good energy. It is said when new things start. This sentence is said when you want to wish everything to be fine in the end.

Θετικές σκέψεις κι όλα θα πάνε καλά. Positive thoughts and everything is going to be alright.

You say this phrase when you want to cheer someone up, to give them courage in the face of difficulties.

Προχωράμε μπροστά. We move forward.
Μην το βάζεις κάτω. Don’t give up (colloquialism).

Both sentences mean the same thing, “don’t give up”, move on, keep going.

....and a couple of common sayings - the first one was my grandmother’s favourite:

Έχε τα πόδια σου ζεστά, την κεφαλή σου κρύα, τον στόμαχόν σου ελαφρύ, γιατρού δεν έχεις χρεία. Have your feet warm, your head cold, your stomach light and you won’t need a doctor.

Because when your body temperature feels like that, you’re healthy :-)