Peloponese

Family in the Greek culture is very important. Frequently, families will “adopt” people to join them by calling them thea (aunt) or theo (uncle) either for respect, to acknowledge closeness or, to expand a small family. Friends who are godparents to children or sponsors for a married couple are called koumbari and are considered family. Whether at home in Seattle, Washington, or while visiting his ancestral homes in Greece, Jim Kost regularly hears this call from those he encounters.