Malls, Palls, Malias, or Platias?

When comparing Greece and America in regards to shopping centers, or "platias", both cultures seem to have a shared appreciation for this type of organization, although there are differences in their uses. Rather than functioning as a place to simply go and find items to purchase, American malls and Greek platias seem to be focused on serving as a place for people, especially young adults and teenagers, to talk, get food and drinks, or simply spend time together. 

In my hometown, the Indian River Mall is one of the top places to go for teenagers in the area. When I was in high school, this mall was where my friends and I hung out on break, after class or on the weekends- whether it be to eat some Chick-fil-A in the food court or walk around the variety of clothing stores and other shops. It served as a general meeting place when our friend group couldn't think of a different place to go; it was almost just an excuse to go there so we could hang out together.

Soon after arriving in Greece, I discovered the importance of platias. On one of our first nights in Greece, we were staying in Ithaca at a hotel with a platia directly outside the front doors of the building. While we were there, a Greek ceremony took place in the square, which incorporated traditional music and dancing around a fire. This platia served as a meeting place for people to gather in a time of bonding and celebration.

Another experience I had was at the main, upper platia here in Aghia Paraskevi. I went along with some friends who were looking to get drinks, and we ended up near this platia late at night, probably around 12 or 1:00am. The entire town square was packed full of people- most of which were high schoolers, college aged, or young adults, all talking and hanging out. Quite a few of them were smoking cigarettes or drinking, but many others were simply hanging around having a good time. I was surprised by the number of people that were there that late at night with no main attraction to be found (other than the notable human interaction and friendship)- it was as if the entire community was there to spend time together.

Though there are similarities between American shopping centers and Greek platias in areas like a variety of shops and restaurants being available, I feel the real difference between the two lies in the heightened sense of community in the platia. In all my experiences at US malls or centers, I feel people come in pairs or groups that stick to their own and don’t mingle with anyone else during their time there. Contrastingly, in Greece, it seemed as if most of the people in groups would also go around and take part in interactions and conversations with other members of their community. I felt this was a very notably distinct aspect of Greek culture that says a lot about how the Greeks aren’t afraid to get out of their comfort zone and make friends- something that I also would like to work towards since being inspired by these people.