17 fun facts about Greece to know before you visit it

Although Greece is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, there are still some unknown facts about the country that can blow your mind. Here are a few of them:

1. The official name of Greece is the Hellenic Republic. It has been the official name of the country since the abolition of the monarchy in 1973. Greeks refer to themselves as Hellenes and to their country as Hellas. The name Greece is of Roman origin because, according to the theory, when the Romans conquered Greece the first people they met were the western Greek tribe of Graeci.

2. The contemporary idea of Santa Claus developed from the 4th-century Greek Saint Nicholas who was a bishop of Myra (nowadays Demre, Turkey) famous for his secret gift-giving.

3. Retirement homes are not common in Greece since grandparents normally live with their children.

4. Only about 170 out of the more than 2,000 Greek islands are inhabited.

Donousa Island in the Cyclades, Greece, has a population of only 167 people (2011)

5. Name days are big celebrations in Greece, sometimes even bigger than birthdays. A name day is the day dedicated to the saint one is named after. Since the Greek Orthodox Church has dedicated every day of the year to the memory of one (or sometimes more) saint, almost every day in Greece is cause for celebration.

6. Greek is the oldest written language that is still in existence.

Read more: 13 quotes about Greece that explain why everyone loves it.