Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark

Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, later known as Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia ; 30 August [O.S. 18 August] 1870 – 24 September [O.S. 12 September] 1891), was a member of the Greek royal family by birth and of the Russian imperial family by marriage.

Festive attire with gold and coins

On feast days, well-to-do men wore crimson velvet jackets embroidered with gold, while women often accessorized with strings of coins and silver chains.

Mixed European and traditional attire

In 19th-century Greek cities like Athens and Piraeus, residents frequently wore a mix of European clothing alongside traditional garments such as the fustanella.

Urban music and Western influences

In urban centers, the elite and middle class favored Western dances like waltzes and polkas at home gatherings, while lower social strata in ports developed rebetika music performed in tavernas using bouzouki, baglama, and guitar. Military bands also frequently performed Western music in public squares and streets of major cities.

Village dances and folk instruments

In rural villages, folk dances were held in squares or churchyards on Sundays and saints' days, often featuring circle or chain dances performed to the sounds of bagpipes, violins, or clarinets. If instruments were unavailable, dancers sang their own accompaniment to these communal celebrations.

Crete journey times and distances

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

Travel by horse in interior Greece

Travelers in the interior of Greece typically moved on horseback, with distances calculated by the hour rather than by miles. An average hour of riding covered about 3 miles, and a normal day's progress was between 20 and 25 miles.

Simple Peasant Home Architecture

Most rural peasant homes were single-room cabins built of wood or stone with a roof of thatch or tiles, housing both the family and their domestic animals. Furnishings were minimal, typically lacking tables and chairs, with bedding stored in a corner and meals eaten while sitting on the floor around a common dish.

Widespread Public Schooling

Education was highly valued and accessible, with free primary schools available to children of all social classes, including the children of cab drivers and government officials sitting together. While many villages maintained schools for boys, girls' schooling was less common, though a growing interest in female education was gradually overcoming old prejudices.

Costs of Basic Food Items

In 1870, bread cost between 55 and 65 lepta, and it was noted that a modest feast of olives, salted fish, and halvah could be bought for just three sous.

Modest Diet of Ordinary Families

Poor families in Greece often survived on little more than a handful of bitter olives, onions, or salted fish with bread.

Cost of bread and beef

In 1870, bread cost between 55 and 65 lepta per oka, while beef was priced between 1.20 and 2.60 drachmas per oka. The oka was a unit of weight equivalent to 1,282 grams.

Rural wages in the early 1870s

In the early 1870s, workers in cotton fields earned between 1.5 and 2.5 drachmas daily, while men working in vineyards received 3 drachmas plus provisions. Shepherds were paid significantly less, receiving only 60 drachmas for six months of work along with provisions.

Wages and Long Shifts in 1870 Greece

In 1870, average daily wages were 2.5 drachmas for men, 1.5 for women, and 0.5 for children. Workers in textile factories often endured 12-hour shifts, six days a week, with two additional hours of unpaid work on Sundays.

Child Labor in Mines and Factories

Children as young as six were considered eligible for employment, with some young girls working in spinning mills having to stand on stools to reach the machinery. In the mines, children were employed in tasks such as sorting ores and carrying stone.