The Cretans and their culture

People of Crete

The Cretans are warm, friendly open people who love life and the company of others. Hospitable to strangers, the Cretans make sure that holidaying on their island will always leave the visitor with a warm glow.

As a result of their turbulent and often violent history it is not surprising that they also strongly uphold the values of independence and freedom, and this is reflected in many of their daily customs.

Cretans have very strong family and kinship ties and the Cretan culture is known throughout Greece and beyond for its notorious clan vendettas, which are still ongoing on the island.

Traditionally, many Cretan families have guns which they keep at home; this is particularly the case in rural areas. Although the Greek authorities strictly regulate the possession of weapons within its borders, in Crete this is less enforced as it is seen as a cultural tradition.
As a proud and loyal people they are determined to keep their traditions, custom and Cretan dialect alive

Crete with its great politicians, with its troubled writers, with the authenticity of its musicians and with the lessons of real art that it delivers to posterity managed and manages not only to move us but also to make the human race proud of the fact that there are people who reflect, think with a clear mind and envision a better world.

Proof of this are some of the biggest names in Cretan tradition, politics and culture: Eleftherios Venizelos, Nikos Kazantzakis, Pantelis Prevelakis, Nikos Xylouris, Dominicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), Daskalogiannis.