Plate Breaking
Why Greeks Break Plates:
The History Behind the Custom
Credit And Source: Stacey Harris-Papaioannou, TheGreekReporter
If there was ever a stereotype, it is around the smashing of plates, which every xeno wants to try frisbeeing at a social event. This is also not an avoidance technique to wash dishes.
Smashing plates became well known and normalized to people outside of Greece following the debut of the 1960 film “Never On Sunday” where there is a scene that shows the main characters in a boisterous moment of having a good time, where glasses drop and smash on the floor during a dance.
The custom has no clear start date but it is certainly a multipurpose ritual. Smashing plates has been used to signal the end and the beginning, to ward off evil spirits and to express abundance.
It was once believed that a celebration could draw the attention of mati, some bad energy, or even worse, some nasty spirits. To ward off evil spirits that might wreak havoc on a newly married couple, smashing a few plates was considered to serve as ‘smoke screen’. The vehemence of plate breaking would fool the spirits so they would not suspect a happy event was taking place at the gathering.
Breaking plates may also be related to the ancient practice of lavish consumption to display wealth, followed by the plates or glasses being thrown into the hearth following a banquet instead of being reused, a “true sign of wealth”.
In a more sombre setting, in symbolic ritual, a plate is smashed at the graveside of the departed following a Greek Orthodox funeral symbolising the end of Life on earth. The plate is smashed, signifying the end of life while also being considered an act of mourning.
Eventually plate smashing demonstrated a devil-may-care attitude because of abundance as well as a celebratory spirit: the host was comfortable enough that plates could be broken because there was plenty. The dinnerware could be tossed and broken as it could be easily replaced. The action tells the world: We have so much to eat and so many dishes that we can toss away our possessions.
In filming “Never On Sunday,” Jules Dassin needed to reshoot the plate-smashing scene several times. He used defective plates that were factory rejects. Following the film’s success, plate smashing became even more popular.
In the 60s up to 100,000 plates per month were smashed and more than fifty workshops were established employing around 1000 people to cover the needs of partygoers and their plate smashing. Eventually they turned to plaster copies of plates, to prevent injury and reduce costs.
Since 1974 specially-produced plaster plates have been used. There were 53 manufacturers of plaster plates in the northern city of Thessaloniki in those heady times.
In 1994, with the passage of a law restricting the opening hours of the nightclubs, enthusiasm for plate smashing ebbed, as it tended to be more fun to do it way after midnight. Greece also became even more European and younger generations started preferring more western types of bars and nightclubs over the kitsch of the bouzoukia clubs. Plates were once again used strictly for eating.
All but one manufacturer of plaster plates in the north of Greece shut down for good.
Plate smashing is now officially discouraged as most establishments prefer customers to throw flowers rather than items that can cause serious injury, especially after a few drinks and impaired aim. Greece actually requires a license for establishments who want to allow breaking plates.
By 1969 the military dictatorship of Georgios Papadopoulos, which had suspended democracy and ruled Greece autocratically from 1967 to 1973, banned plate smashing in nightclubs. Flying shards of pottery were dangerous, so plate smashing was outlawed in the taverns and nightclubs of Greece.
But this would not divert passionate Greeks, so in the spirit of smashing plates a variation on the custom was the introduction of flowers. Diners at Greek restaurants, tavernas or social events, were able to buy trays of flowers that they could throw at singers and each other in a gesture of joy, fun and celebration.
Sometimes as an alternative, rather than pricey flowers or stacks of plates, paper napkins are used.
Another extravagant “tradition” is the lighting of whiskey around the dancer doing the zeibekiko.
Accompanied by the music for the dance as plates are smashed, the “Opa” is shouted out, which actually means something like oops! or Watch out! And then you better watch out cause the occasional mishap of flying chards or poor technique results in minor cuts and bruises.