|
|
| Home :: Greece Fesivals |
Greece Festivals |
| Greece Festivals - Information about the festivals in Greece |
Greece has been organizing and welcoming festivals since the antiquity.
Today, the Festivals in Greece have a religious basis and are in accordance with the Orthodox calendar. The Orthodox calendar is similar to the Catholic calendar except for Easter.
Other important festivals have a cultural nature.
 Many theatrical plays are performed in the country’s ancient and modern theatres. Cinema is quite well represented in Greece and a festival takes place every year in Thessaloniki.
The country also has an interesting musical scene, especially during summertime, with many appearances from national and international bands.
January 1: The New Year's Day
January 1 is the Feast of Áyios Vassílios (Saint Basil), celebrated with church services. It is also the day of the “vassilopita”, a sweat bread with a coin inside which brings to its finder good luck for the future year. January 1 is also the day were the Christmas gifts are given to the children.
January 6: The Epiphany
It is the feast of Ayía Theofánia, or Fóta, which celebrates the day when the “kalikántzari”or hobgoblins that appeared during the period of Christmas are re-banished to the netherworld by the church’s rites. During Epiphany, waters are blessed and evil spirits are banished. At lakeside, seaside or riverside locations, the priests throw a cross into the water and young locals dive to compete for the privilege and blessing of finding it.
January 8: The Yinekokratia
The feast of the Yinekokratia takes place in some villages of Thrace, a north region, where Saint Domenica is celebrated. It is a day where men and women reverse their daily roles for the day.
January 31- February 22: The Carnivals
The Carnival is called “Apokries” and is expressed by three weeks of feasting and dancing for three weeks before the Lenten Monday (Katharí Dheftera). Important celebrations take place in Patra, Xanthi and Cephalonia with a wonderful chariot parade and costumes parties.
March 25: Greek Independence Day
It is the day of the celebration of the beginning of the Greek revolution against the Turkish occupants in 1821. It is celebrated with military parades all over Greece.
Easter
Easter is the most important festival of Greece and of the Orthodox Church, and it really worth to be seen.
The first ceremony takes place on Good Friday where the “Epitafios”, an imitation of the Christ’s funeral bier, is beautifully decorated with many flowers by the women of the parish. The “Epitafios” is then paraded through the streets of the villages or the neighbours of the cities. In some regions of Greece such as Crete, this ceremony is accompanied by the burning of effigies of Judas Iscariot.
 April 23: The Feast of Agios Georgios (St George)
The feast is celebrating the knight who killed the Dragon. Saint George is the patron of the shepherds and celebrations are organised thorough the country. Great festivities also take place in Arahova and Skyros, where St George is the patron saint.
May/June: The Day of the Aghio Pneuma (Holy Spirit)
The feast take place 40-50 days after Easter.
August 15: Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
This feast celebrates Mary’s ascent to Heaven. Great pilgrimages take place to Tinos and festivities are organised in Páros, Lesvos, Olymbos or Karpathos.
October 28: National Anniversary
It is the day of the National Anniversary of Greek Independence. The day is characterised by military parades and folk dances. The day is also called “Ohi Day” in honour of General Metaxa’s famous “Oxi!” (no!) as a refusal to Mussolini’s demand to occupy the country during World War II.
December 25: Christmas
The feast is of great importance, as it is celebrating the birth of the Christ. The traditional Greek decoration used to be a wooden boat but today, the decorations are more similar to the western tradition.
It is a day were many religious and musical festivities take place but also huge shopping festivities, as in every other occidental country.
The 25th is also a day were children traditionally sing Christmas carols (kalanda) from door to door. |
| |
 |
|
Home 
