Το Μάτι – The Greek Protection Against the Evil Eye

Το Μάτι – Protection Against the Evil Eye

In almost every Greek household, car, or indeed in our own taverna, it hangs somewhere: the blue glass eye known as the "Mati" (Μάτι) — often called the "Nazar" in English, an amulet against the evil eye.

The belief goes back a long way, at least to ancient Greece: it was thought that envy, or even an admiring but unintentionally "evil" glance from another person, could bring bad luck — the Greeks call this "vaskania" (βασκανία). The Mati, usually made of blue and white glass, is meant to essentially "reflect" and ward off that gaze.

To this day, small matakia (the diminutive form) are given to newborn babies in Greece, hung in cars, or worn as a bracelet or pendant. It's no coincidence that you'll spot a blue eye here and there in our taverna too — for us, it belongs to Greek identity just as much as ouzo or bouzouki music.

Whether you're superstitious or not: next time you visit, feel free to ask about the story behind the Mati hanging in our restaurant — we're happy to tell it over a glass of ouzo.

Mastiha Mezedopolio – Taverna Restaurant, Arndtstr. 12, 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg