Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark

What people wore

Multipurpose handwoven garments

Women often wove their own families' clothes, with one set often serving as both a special festive outfit and later, burial clothing.

Getting around

Social Railway Travel in Greece

Railway travel was slow and leisurely; trains stopped at every station for up to ten minutes, during which passengers could visit wine shops or interact with local hawkers. These stops were treated as social events, with villagers often gathering at the station to talk to passengers.

At the table

Resinated wine was the common beverage

People often drank retsinata, a resinated wine with a strong scent of turpentine that was the primary table beverage.

Music

The rise of Athenian Song

During the Athenian Belle Époque (1900-1920), a new genre called the Athenian Song emerged, featuring Italian-style canzonettas and polyphonic kantadas.

Daily life

Democratic and free public education access

Education was highly valued and free for all Greeks, with children from diverse backgrounds, such as a cabdriver's daughter and the child of a Secretary of State, learning together in the same schools. Attendance was eager, contrasting with the listless air observers found in their own countries.

What it cost

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.