Language:The official language of Greece is Greek. Most people connected with tourism and younger generations generally speak some English, French, German or Italian.National Emergency Numbers:Dial 112 for all emergencies.Public Holidays:The dates of certain public holidays change from year to year – refer below. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, then the Monday is also declared a public holiday.Jan 01 – New Year's DayJan 06 – EpiphanyFeb 27 – Clean Monday (Date varies every year, falls on the 7th Monday before Easter)Mar 25 – Independence DayApr 18 – Good Friday (Date varies every year, falls on the Friday before Easter)Aug 21 – Easter Monday (Date varies every year, falls on the Monday after Easter)May 01 – Labor DayJun 05 – Holy Spirit Monday (Date varies every year, falls on a Monday seven weeks after Easter)Aug 15 – Assumption DayOct 28 – Ochi DayDec 25 – Christmas DayDec 26 – Boxing DaySocial conventions:In general, Greeks are exceptionally friendly and curious, to an extent that can seem intrusive. Don’t be surprised at being asked personal questions, even on short acquaintance, or having your personal space invaded. On the other hand, you’re also likely to be invited to people’s houses, often to meet a large extended family. Should you get such an invitation, you are not expected to be punctual – thirty minutes late is normal – and you should bring a small gift, usually flowers, or cakes from the local cake shop. If you’re invited out to dinner, you can offer to pay, but it’s very unlikely you’ll be allowed to do so, and too much insistence could be construed as rude.Two pieces of body language that can cause unintentional offense are hand gestures; don’t hold your hand up, palm out, to anybody, and don’t make an OK sign by forming a circle with your thumb and forefinger – both are extremely rude. Nodding and shaking your head for yes and no are also unlikely to be understood; Greeks use a slight forward inclination of the head for yes, a more vigorous backward nod for no.Time Zone:Greece is on the EEST (UTC+02:00) and 7 hours ahead of EST.TippingResturantsIn Greece, it's expected that tourists will tip but some restaurants will still round-up the bill, so be careful. Don't leave any extra money if they have. A gratuity of between 5% and 10% is a good guide. Leave it on the table with the bill, give it to the waiter directly, or tell the waiter you don’t want change. In some restaurants, the owner does not allow their staff to keep the tips. You may want to ask if this is the case because if they don’t, you are just paying more for your meal.SpasThe staff at spas will not usually expect gratuities, but it's up to you. How much you leave depends on the quality of the spa and how good the service was. If you do want to leave a gratuity, ask at the reception if they have an envelope you can use.Tour GuidesIt is standard etiquette to tip on tours. For group tours, you can tip between $3 to $5 per person, per day. For private tours, tip $20 per person, per day.TaxisYou won't always be expected to tip your taxi driver. However, some taxi drivers may have grown used to it from tourists. So, it's up to you. If you do decide to tip your taxi driver round-up the fare or leave between 5% and 10%.US EmbassyAddress: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue 10160 Athens, GreeceTel: +(30)(210) 721-2951Emergency After-Hours Tel: +30 210 729-4444 or +30 210 729-4301Fax: +(30)(210) 724-5313Email: [email protected]