Greek Culture

Greece is mainly a Greek Orthodox country and according to their tradition, all days of the year is dedicated to a Christian saint or martyr. Holidays in Greece include namedays – a celebration by a person who has the same name as the patron saint. The Greek tradition of celebrating his/her “nameday” is more important than a person’s birthday. The Greek greeting for someone celebrating his/her “nameday,” is “Hronia Polla” which means “many years”. It is a wish for good health and prosperity. There are 61 Greek namedays spread throughout the 12 months.

Legal Holidays in Greece

Although legal holidays in Greece are only few, cities and municipalities have their own local celebrations of certain holidays.

New Year’s Day (January 1) is also the Feast of St. Basil in which Greeks follow the old Byzantine custom of slicing the Basilcake or New Year cake called Vassilopita. These cakes have a coin hidden in them and the person who finds it will have good luck for the year. January 6 is the day of Epiphany – the first sanctification of the Epiphany that is celebrated in churches during the eve of the holiday.

March 25 is the Greek Independence Day which is celebrated in cities and municipalities with a grand parade of institutions. The dates of the observance of the holy week vary (depending on when it’s set worldwide) but it falls usually in the months of March or April. May 1 is Labor Day and Flower Festival where in most Greeks hold picnics and the skies are filled with kites. August 15 is the Assumption Day, the second widely celebrated among the religious holidays in Greece and on the island of Tinos, thousands of pilgrims go to a certain church there and crawl on their knees up the stairs to the holy icon.

October 28 is Ochi Day, celebrated with parades by the military in major towns and cities. This is a commemoration of the refusal of Greece to allow Italian occupancy during WWII. November 17 is the anniversary of the uprising of Polytechnic University students in Athens in 1973. It is during this uprising that many students, who opposed the military dictatorship and US imperialism, were killed. This holiday is usually celebrated with a march and stoning of the

American Embassy.

Holidays in Greece usually refer to the period of Christmas, New Year and the Epiphany. December in Greece is a memorable celebration of the Greek version of Christmas. The Greeks has adopted the western style of celebrating Christmas although the twist of Greek comes in the type of food served on the dinner table that is made up mostly of Greek specialty.

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Greece Culture