GREEK CELEBRATIONS

January

January 1st:

Feast of St Basil. This is associated with a good start for the new
year. An old Byzantine custom of slicing the Vassilopita (Basilcake or
New Year Cake) gives the person who finds the hidden coin in his slice,
good luck for the year.

January 6th

Epiphany is celebrated throughout Greece when the Blessing of the

Waters takes place. A cross is thrown into the sea, lakes or rivers and
retrieved by swimmers who are then entitled to good luck. The event
is particularly spectacular in Pireaus.

February

In late Mid February Greece's Carnival Season called Apokrias, begins and
lasts two weeks. It is similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and the festivities
are particularly enjoyable in Naousa, Veria, Kozani, Zante, Skyros, Xanthi,
Chios(in Mesta, Olimbi, Thymiana), Galaxidi, Thebes(where a mock sheperds
wedding is held), Poligiros, Lamia, Cephalonia, Messini, Soho, Serres,
Agiassos in Lesvos, Karpathos, Heraklion, Amfissa, Efxinoupolis(Volos),
Agia Ana(Evia), Rethymnon and especially in Patras and Athens (Plaka ).

March

Clean Monday or Kathari Deftera 40 days before Easter, marks the

first day of Lent and it is customary to go out in the country and fly
paper kites.

March 25th Independence Day

The Greek National Anniversary and a major religious holiday with
military parades in the larger towns and cities. This celebrates
Greece's victory in the war of Independence against the Turks who had
occupied the country for 400 years. The 25th of March was actually
the day Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of national rebellion
at the monastery of Agia Lavra in the northern Peleponisos. For
Greece, the 25th of March is the equivalent to the 4th of July to
Americans. The Greeks celebrate this day with marches and
celebrations throughout the country. Consequently, the Acropolis and
all other archaeological sites and all museums are closed on this day.
You are supposed to eat fried bakaliaro (cod) and skordalia (garlic
sauce) today.

April

Easter
Celebrations begin in April or May. Check with your local Greek church for
exact dates since it changes every year.
On Good Friday the people of the towns and villages carry candles and
follow the procession of the Epitaph.

Saturday in Holy Week the ceremony of the Resurrection takes place in

the courtyard in front of all churches and bells are rung all over the towns
and cities. Candles are lit one from the other and then the people make
their way home for the traditional feast of dyed red Easter eggs and
Magiritsa soup.
Easter Sunday is the biggest church holiday in Greece. All over the
country lambs are roasted on a spit and there is wine in abundance. Red
eggs are cracked against each other and the person with the last
remaining uncracked egg will have good luck. This is the most beautiful
time to be in Greece if the weather is good.

May

May 1st

Labor day and the Feast of the Flowers. There is a general exodus
to the country for picnics and the sky is filled with kites.

June

Towards the end of June in the town of Agia Paraskevis in Lesvos is

a 3 day Festival of the Bull with live music, celebration and horse
races through the streets.

The Holiday of Agios Pnevmatos (Holy Spirit) is a 3-Day weekend

similar to Memorial Day in the USA. All the islands are full as are the
ferries going there on Thursday and Friday and returning on SundayMonday-Tuesday. It is a moveable feast and which weekend it falls on
depends on when Orthodox Easter was. It is the second biggest holiday of
the summer after the Panagia Name Day in August. If you are travelling
to the islands during this weekend make sure you have a hotel and ferry
tickets. On the other hand this is a great time to be in Athens because it is
empty.

August

During the first week of August the town of Kaloni in Lesvos holds its
Sardine Festival with fish, ouzo, live music dancing and other events.
August 15th: The day of the Panagia (Virgin Mary)

This is the second biggest religious holiday after Easter and on the island of
Tinos this day is celebrated like on no other. Pilgrims by the thousands come
here to crawl on their knees up the steps to the church that holds the holy
Icon. But this day is also celebrated in almost every town and village in
Greece especially those with a church dedicated to the Panagia (Virgin Mary).
That means on the days leading up to it every boat is full and in the islands
every hotel is full so keep this in mind if you are travelling these dates. But in
general booking a hotel on any island in August is difficult if you don't do it in
advance.

October

The 28th is Ochi Day, celebrating the Greek refusal to let Italy occupy
the country during WWII. The Italians invaded and were driven back into
Albania and nearly back to Italy. There are military parades in the major
towns and cities.

November

The 17th of November is the anniversary of the student uprising at the

Polytechnic University in Athens in 1973. The demonstrations against the
military dictatorship gained momentum and was crushed when tanks crashed
the gates of the university killing many students. The holiday is celebrated
with the annual march and stoning of the American Embassy. If you have
business at the Embassy it is a good idea to save it for another day.

December

New Years Eve is spent playing cards with friends on a green card
table, while children sing carols and people exchange gifts.