Athens, Greece: Culture of Greece

Greek culture has been significantly impacted by the long and interesting history of the area. With 97% of the Greek population following the Greek orthodox religion, it plays a large role in the culture of the area. Many of the yearly festivals and holidays revolve around important days in the religion. 1.7% of the population are Muslim, making it the second most common religion in the area. The primary language in Greece is Greek, 98% of the population speak it. Macedonian is spoken by 1.8% of the population. Although in both a religious and lingual sense Greek culture does not seem to be diverse, Greek culture has taken much influence from the East that can be seen in its food, music and the lifestyle’s people lead.

Since the early 1990’s, Greece has seen a large influx of migrant workers, which now make up about 7.3% of the population. This rise in immigration has been seen as a problem by many Greeks. Despite having policies against racism and xenophobic attitudes, these problems are still prominent throughout the country.

Athens is a city full of old and new culture. It has many old ruins and museums that showcase the history of the area while still forming a new and interesting culture through its music, food and people. There are many places to dance and many theatres throughout the city of Athens. Art also plays an enormous part in both the old and new culture of Athens.