GREEK TRIVIAL PURSUIT

RANDOM GREEK FACT #3

"Yiayia" means Grandma



      In Greek culture and society, Grandma and Grandpa play an important or dominant role in the upbringing of their grandchildren, since often both parents are working and they become the babysitters. Their presence may be important but they unwittingly, perhaps from excessive affection and care, contribute to the bad eating habits of their grandchildren. 

      For example, Greek grandmothers seem to have X-ray vision and are able to see through your skin and into your stomach so don't lie to them that you are full, there's still room in your stomach (it's not quite exploding yet!)

      They make you feel like it's a sin not to clean up your plate, they even make jokes about how you've eaten everything in your plate and she doesn't even have to wash it. And she looks at it with pride that you ate it all! Did I mention that Grandma portions are very 'generous'?

These phrases have grown generations and generations of Greek youngsters:

 

 -- "one more mouthful for Grandma, one for mommy, one for daddy ...,"

"...am I going to have a mouthful for each and every one in the family tree?...."
 

 -- "your last bite is your strength "

 

 

"The exorcist's" Linda Blair's baby photo: "If you force me to eat this I'll show you strength!"
 

 
-- "eat because children are starving in Ethiopia "
 

(through grinding teeth) "Well, send it to them..."

 

If these tricks don't work then the intimidation method begins:

 -- "Eat because the bogeyman will come,"
 

"Bogeyman? Really, Grandma!"

 
-- "Eat because you won't grow to be tall and strong"
 

"Heard that before! I have no strong feelings-one way or another!"

 

 

If all of these fail then the last resort is sweet corruption:

 -- "Eat all your of your food and I'll give you some chocolate".

"ALL of this for a tiny piece of chocolate? OMG!"
 

A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G to see the plate being emptied of food!

 

      It seems that today's grandparents suffer from what we call the WW2 Occupation Syndrome. I don't know if it is a valid scientific term but it's widely used and after 60-70 years, still continues to haunt us, carrying it from generation to generation until today.

 

      During the difficult years of WW2 occupation, our ancestors experienced great famine that killed hundreds of Greeks, leaving behind bad memories to our grandmothers and grandfathers. This resulted in the mentality that "when there is food, it should be consumed in abundance" and none of it must be thrown away and that the "extra" pounds mean strength and health.  This mentality was passed on to the next generations and even though these attitudes are fading anymore they have lead us today to the point of talking about obesity in young kids. 

      Childhood obesity is a growing concern, increasingly gaining epidemic trends worldwide. In Greece,  statistics say that almost 1 in 3 children today are obese.

 So, please Grandma when I say I'm full,
              
                       I really mean I'm full!!!

 

 

 

All photos are courtesy of Google images.