Greek Independence Day – Grand parade in Athens

The pandemic lasted for more than two years, and on the most important holiday of the country, its inhabitants were deprived of the opportunity to attend the parade. This year, the grandiose spectacle filled the hearts of the Greeks with pride, who gathered in the main square of the capital or watched the action on TV.

Greek Independence Day is celebrated annually on March 25 and marks the beginning of the liberation struggle of the Greek people from 400 years of Ottoman rule. On this day, Greeks and philhellenes pay homage to the heroes of the Revolution of 1821-1829. The holiday coincides with the Orthodox Annunciation, which in Greece, according to the Julian calendar, is also celebrated annually on March 25th.

Nowadays Annunciation and Independence Day in Greece are celebrated very widely. Parades are held all over the country, schoolchildren prepare performances and performances on the Greek-Turkish theme, learn patriotic songs. And of course, every year there is a large-scale parade in Athens. Euronews correspondent Fay Dulgheri notes:

“Thousands of people gathered in the center of Athens to watch this grandiose military parade. Many expressed their concern and grief over the war in Ukraine and the plight of the Ukrainian people.”

For the first time took part in the air force parade Rafale fighterswhich have recently entered the Air Force armament balance and were acquired in France.

On March 25, 1821, on the day of the Annunciation, in the monastery of St. Lavra near Kalavryta, Metropolitan Herman of Patra raised the banner of the revolution. For 8 years of struggle, 50,000 of the 100,000 Greeks who took up arms died. But their blood was not shed in vain: in 1829, Turkey recognized the independence of Greece under the Treaty of Adrianople, and a year later, the leading world powers recognized the independent Greek state.

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