Evil Eye Gifts And Everything About The Greek "Mati"

The famous Greek evil eye symbol as modern evil eye merchadise

Find cool evil eye gifts based on the Greek “Evil Eye” or Mati (eye in Greek), one of the most famous Greek souvenirs.

It is one of the most imporant symbols in Greek folklore, so we produced modern evil eye merch.

You can find various types of evil eye gifts online or in Greek souvenir shops.

There is no way that you have never seen it on various souvenirs if you ever walked in a Greek tourist area.

We created a new series of products that show this symbol in a contemporary and minimalistic way.

Before showing you these new Mati designs gifts, let’s talk a bit about the evil eye history and symbolism.

Mati meaning and symbolism of these evil eye gifts

So what does the evil eye mean? 

Evil Eye (Kako Mati in Greek) is the belief that some individuals have the “power” to give a certain type of stare to other people (not necessarily on purpose) that makes the others “sick”.

It is a glare - curse.

It can be the result of great admiration (or jealousy) - so especially beautiful women or cute kids are the “victims” of the evil eye.

The Evil eye on various artifacts (like charms or jewelry) is supposed to absorb this negative and evil energy, so it makes a great gift.

The evil eye symbol protects from the evil eye curse - like an invisible shield!

There is a twist: according to tradition, you can be affected by the evil eye only if you believe in the existence of the evil eye!

example of an evil eye ornament

Evil Eye symptoms:

Here is a list of the most common "Evil Eye Symptoms"

  • Sudden headache
  • Nausea
  • Imbalance
  • Sleepiness
  • Short breath
  • Unexplained yawning

So If you have any of the above symptoms after someone told you “you look great today”, Greeks will automatically say that you got the evil eye!

a supposed symptom of evil eye is uneplained yawning

Evil Eye protection and “therapy”

Don't panic: Greek folklore has figured out ways to protect yourself from the evil eye and has a method to get rid of it in case you got it!

a) Evil Eye Prevention:

In Greek tradition there is a consensus: Evil eye charms (found in typical kitschy evil eye merch) are the main way to go to protect yourself from the evil eye!

But there are also other DIY methods someone can implement to protect himself from an evil eye curse:

For example imperfect clothes like different colored socks, or missing buttons on a shirt, or any differentiation from perfect looks can lead to less admiration - therefore less chances to get the evil eye.

Also a bad smell can help, like garlic in your pocket. Or even a small smudge with charcoal behind the ear can help, too!

Generally the idea is to have something that in the end distracts the admiration and absorbs the look given to you. 

greek yiayia

b) Evil Eye "Therapy":

There is also a secret process that helps you get rid of the evil eye in case you got it.

Mainly older women know a secret spell that will relieve the symptoms.

Such an evil eye expert is depicted in the above picture!

A fun fact is that the process works also via telephone, so you can call a Greek granny (yiayia) to help you out from a distance!

Evil Eye History

The symbol dates at least back to the bronze age, about 1250 B.C. in Ancient Syria and it was generally known through history mainly across the eastern Mediterranean.

It can be traced back to Greek classical antiquity (6th c.BC) as archaeological findings show.

It was depicted in various drinking vessels found in Athens and Chaliks, known as “eye cups”.

ancient greek evil eye cup

(picture from wikipedia)

It was a pagan symbol and the cups were used for drinking while having evil-averting properties.

The superstition survived through the centuries and is still a common belief in Greece.

Even the Greek Orthodox church supports the existence of such a phenomenon (they call it “Vaskania”) and they provide special prayers to help!

Modern Evil Eye gifts

If all this does not make any sense to you, don’t worry you are not alone.

In the end the Evil eye is a fantastic design that can be used as a modern reference to history.

Here are some cool gifts inspired by the evil eye, made in a minimal and contemporary way.

1. The Evil Eye Sweater - Hoodie

Evil eye hoodie sweatshirt

This sweatshirt-hoodie is available in three colors.

Find this high quality Mati hoodie here.

2. The Evil Eye Ceramic Mug - cool evil eye merch

Pink Evil eye mug

This modern ceramic evil eye mug comes in three colors. Check them out!

3. The Evil Eye Pillow: the way to Evil eye decor

Black evil eye pillow

The famous evil eye symbol on a pillow (not just pillow case).

Protect your home from evil eye with this minimal decorative throw pillow!

By the way you can get more ideas about Greek home decoration with modern cushions in this article.

4. The Evil Eye Black Tote - unique evil eye merch

Evil eye recycled tote bag

This evil eye tote bag is made of remaining waste from organic black t-shirts. It is the perfect Greek gift for her.

Check this black mati tote bag here.

5. The Evil Eye Tote Bag (Canvas)

Large evil eye tote bag with black mati

A large canvas Mati - Evil eye tote bag.

This quality evil eye tote bag will protect you while you are shopping!

Bonus: The Evil Eye Baby Bodysuit

evil eye organic baby bodysuit


If you are looking for something more colorful than kitschy ornaments get this Evil eye baby bodysuit!

Get more inspiration about Greek themes on baby bodysuits in this article, also read the whole story about the symbols.

Keep reading about the best modern Greek souvenirs you can buy online in this article.

Evil Eye Gifts from Greece

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