History

History of the Worry Band

The history of the komboloi (worry beads) and its origins date back to time immemorial, when monks on Mount Athos, Greece began making strands of beads by tying knots on a string at regular intervals in order to say their prayers.

However, in modern times, worry beads are often not designed for religious or ceremonial purposes but rather for fun and relaxation.

The pleasure of the action and the clicking noise of the beads turns the overall performance in an easy motion that is reported to help ease tension. And who doesn’t need that these days?

The modern Greek word komboloi derives from kombos (knot) and logio (collection) or the verb leo (say). It is said that it is short for the phrase “in every knot I say a prayer“.

Until some decades ago, the komboloi were only used by men (and are still used only by men in rural Greece).

Women who used them, especially in public, were disapproved of, but things have changed and the komboloi has become sort of a fashion accessory very popular with both sexes.

The fact that the komboloi keeps your hands occupied has also been promoted as an excellent way to relax.   The sliding beads and frilly tassel provide a tactile tool to calm nerves, help with focus or simply pass the time.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle