George II of Greece

George II was King of Greece from 27 September 1922 until 25 March 1924, and again from 25 November 1935 until his death on 1 April 1947.

Festive attire featured coins and gold threads

On feast days, women in Megara adorned themselves with strings of coins and silver chains, and wore veils of transparent silk interwoven with gold threads. Festive costumes were distinguished from practical, dark-colored everyday wear by their rich embroidery, bright colors, and ornamentation.

Men wore the iconic fustanella skirt

Men often wore the fustanella, a full-pleated skirt that originated from southern Albania and became a national symbol. It was commonly paired with a vest, a sleeveless coat, and a leather belt used to carry weapons.

Diverse musical life in Greece

While elites in cities attended orchestral concerts and ballroom dances, ordinary people enjoyed folk festivals featuring chain dances, often accompanied by the clarinet, violin, and laouto. In cities, tavernas became hubs for rebetika music played with bouzoukis and baglamas.

Singing heroic ballads at table feasts

Heroic songs, or klephtic ballads, were often sung by soloists at banquets while seated around tables filled with food and wine. Singers and their audience used these songs to emotionally relive stories of bravery and life's challenges.

Leisurely train travel in Greece

Trains in Greece often made leisurely stops of several minutes at stations, where passengers alighted to socialize while hawkers sold goods and wine shops opened.

Travel time in Crete was slow

A journey across Crete from the Mesara plain to Heraklion, a distance of about 60 km, took 24 hours with a brief overnight stop.

Democratic and Accessible Public Education

Schools of all grades were abundant and free to all, and it was common to see children from diverse social backgrounds, such as a cabdriver's daughter and a government official's child, sitting side by side in class.

Village Life and Daily Work Patterns

Peasants typically lived in large villages rather than isolated farmhouses to protect themselves from brigandage, traveling daily to work in the fields with bread and olives for lunch.

Bread and Olives as Staples

For ordinary Greek families, bread and olives were the staple foods, often supplemented by seasonal vegetables or wild greens. Meat and fish played only a secondary role in their daily diet.

Cost of Bread and Beef

During this period, a loaf of bread typically cost between 55 and 65 lepta, while beef cost between 1.20 and 2.60 drachmas per unit of weight.

Daily wages for Greek workers

In 1870, the average daily wage in Greece was approximately 2.5 drachmas for men, 1.5 for women, and 0.5 for children. By the end of the 19th century, daily wages for laborers typically ranged between 1 and 4 drachmas.

Cost of basic foods

In the early 1900s, an oka (1,282 grams) of bread cost 30–40 lepta, while goat meat cost 80 lepta to 1 drachma and lamb cost 1 to 1.40 drachmas.

Grueling factory conditions for women and children

In the late 19th century, female textile workers in Syros endured 12-hour shifts six days a week, plus two additional unpaid hours every Sunday. Children as young as six were employed in factories, sometimes having to stand on stools to reach the machinery.

Common jobs in early 20th century Greece

In the early 1900s, common jobs included work in tobacco production, textile mills, and small urban workshops, often with children as young as six helping at machines.