03/16/2026
Another Greece we learned about the superstition of the evil eye.
Definition: Known as mati (μάτι) or vaskania (βασκανία), it is believed that a person can bestow a curse upon another through a jealous or admiring gaze, causing sudden misfortune, bad luck, or illness.
Origins: The belief dates back at least to the 6th century BC in Greece, with references in the works of Hesiod, Plato, and Plutarch.
Protection: To ward off the evil eye, Greeks often wear a mati charm—a blue glass bead with concentric circles (white, light blue, dark blue). These are worn as jewelry (bracelets, necklaces) or placed in homes, cars, and on clothing, especially for babies.
Everyone really enjoyed getting to choose their mati charm, we had butterflies, elephants, turtles, flowers, and of course the eye.