The people of Milos stand out for their kindness, stubbornness, fighting spirit and hospitality. All these are because on the one hand the harshness and the difficulties of life and on the other hand their access to the sea. Many people have come through Milos, either as conquerors or as hunted in order to find a place of refuge.

Milos is one of the first Greek areas to accept Christianity. There were a lot of customs and traditions that existed on the island, but today very few have been preserved. During Christmas the people of Milos and especially the mariners make sure that they spend them at home. The women make sure that the houses are exceptionally beautiful on that day. On Christmas and New Years eve the children say carols. On New Years day a healthy young boy visits the houses in order to be the first foot to enter the house thus bringing good health and prosperity for the rest of the year.

One of the biggest local celebrations was that of "Triti of the Skolo". They all went to church and carried about of the icon to all the villages take place. A meeting took place at the graveyard where they chanted for the souls of the dead and the church bells stroke joyfully. On Labor Day the girls used to collect wild flowers and make a wreath that they use to hang outside their door and during the night the boys would take them from there and place them in the main square, showing in this was that for every girl there was someone that was interested. "Klidonas" was a custom were the young girls using various processes tried to guess the name of the man that would ask to marry them.

The barley twists were made from the new crop of barley. They used to dip them in seawater and complemented them with tomatoes. This tempting appetizer is served today as the traditional appetizer in the mezedopoleia (place were they offer snacks-appetizers).

On the 26th July on the eve of the celebration of Agios Panteleimonas, the largest open-air festival used to take place and it was a chance for any misunderstandings between the citizens to be resolved. The 15th of August is celebrated brilliantly to this date.

On the road and in the church everyone used to throw cottonseeds. When the groom used to take the bride back to their house, he had to crush a pomegranate so their life would be rosy. After the wedding celebration, the relatives brought 12 breads, a lamb and a skin bag filled with sweet wine. In this was they concentrated the large quantity of food they had consumed during the days that they were preparing for the wedding and the celebrations until the wedding. The following Sunday the anti-wedding took place, another yet celebration with eating and drinking, this time at the house of the groom and that is were the wedding celebrations ended. This marked the beginning of the couple's everyday life.

Even though there is not a lot of drinking water, the people of Milos used to cultivate their land and produced very tasty vegetables due to the fact that the ground is volcanic and does not need fertilizers and pesticides.

The people of Milos took advantage of their commercial wizardry and had commercial transactions with the pirates that used to take refuge at the caves of the island and thus the residents used to sell food and supplies for their ships. The people used to be sailors and fishermen. Fishing even to this date is one of the occupations that they hold. Milos also has a salt marsh that produces a large quantity of salt that covers the local needs but is also exported. Approximately one thousand people are occupied today in the various mines of Milos, that are one of the most important of Greece and are situated on of the top places worldwide for the production of perlite, varitini, plaster and sulphur.

Lately occupations that are related to tourism have started developing on the island. Small hotels, pensions, rental rooms, various stores, restaurants and various rendering services companies, have slowly sprouted and increase yearly, as the visitors that come to meet Milos and its special beauties increase. Today tourism offers another yet income to the residents. 

Milos very early developed a civilization. Theofrastos the first to write the book "Mineralogy" with the title "About Rocks" talks about the soil of Milos that the painters used to prefer during the Ancient times. Pottery had flourished in Milos. Between the many distinguished works was that of the "Crater of Milos" from 640 B.C. with a detailed representation of Apollo on his armor and is today hosted at the Archeological Museum of Athens. The art of sculpturing also knew great development in Milos. Admired works are those of the Discus of Milos with the bust of Aphrodite from 460 B.C., the head of the philanthropist god Asklipios and many others. During the 2nd century A.C. the marble statue of Poseidon that is 2,17 meters high was created. The fantastic Aphrodite of Milos with its abundant beauty, which is presently exhibited at the Museum of the Louvre, comes from the Hellenistic period. This rare work of art is 2 meters high and weighs 900 kilos, represents the beautiful goddess Aphrodite, as an unknown Millian sculptor imagined her and created her with his skillful hands, sometime between 320 A.C. Her unique beauty, her distinct fine and vivid characteristics, the harmony of the female body, leave even to date the visitors ecstatic. It is believed that it decorated one of the podiums of the gymnasium of the ancient city.

The first time it came to light in 1820, when a farmer was digging his fields near the ancient theatre. French Officers that located the statue informed the French embassy in Constantinople and within a few days, Aphrodite violently started her voyage to France. In was offered to king Louis VIII and ended up at the Louvre, were it concentrates the attention of thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. During its transport the two hand that were found laying beside her were lost. It is believed that she used to hold a shield in the one and an apple in the other.

Despite her imputation, Aphrodite of Milos, has not stop charming not only the plain visitors by all the archeologists and the art critics. Self evidently and justifiably she has inspired many famous poets and artists of all times. Kostis Palamas dedicates his poem "the Immigrant" to her.