Crete’s distinctive amalgam has produced a culture that remains unique even within Greece. It is worth pointing out that Cretan culture is considered to be the mother of all Greek civilisation originated on Crete. Cretans are considered to be very friendly and traditionally hospitable people. They have their own mindset, too.

First they are Cretans, then they are Greeks. For Greeks, Crete is stereotypically the last bastion of freedom and a repository of practices and follies long since disappeared elsewhere in the nation. To foreigners as well, Cretans (with a long "e", as opposed to "cretin") may seem to embody all of the Greek virtues and vices but in fourfold measure.

Moderation is scorned; rustling, blood feuds, marriage by abduction, three - day festivals, courageous resistance against hopeless odds, and self - abnegating generosity were, until very recently, staples of a life that contributed to the legend of the Kritiki (Greek for Cretans) as Super - Greeks, a reputation that the islanders themselves seem loath to counter or gainsay. Levendia - an expression difficult to translate but implying grace, eloquent wit, physical agility, musicality, high spirits in the face of adversity, and pride in self - sufficiency - is still a quality prized in men and women. The Cretan has faced armed enemies and hordes of tourists with the same security born of a feeling of superiority which led the Sicilian Don Fabrizio to exclaim in "The Leopard": "They have come to teach us good manners. But they won’t succeed, because we are gods."

Cretan people are deeply connected with music and rhythm. Through their music they express their feelings, the joy, the sorrow, the love, the passion for life. The instruments that they use are the lyra, the mandolin, and the lute. However, the most popular form of musical expression is the so - called "mantinada" which is a poetic couplet of fifteen syllabus which express their feelings, and their thoughts.

Cretans love dancing. Some of the most famous dances are syrtos, pentozalis, sousta and maleviziotis.

Local artisans are known for pottery, leatherwear and featherwork. A few islanders still don traditional garb - high black boots, pantaloons, and embroidered jackets.

Traditional pieces of weaving and needlework as well as embroideries made by the Cretan women are of great importance and value.

"People who forget their tradition always sleep into the lethargy of decay".

Dim. Mavrokostas

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