Special Events in Athens

The Greek calendar is filled with religious celebrations, cultural festivals, and civic occasions. Those events with roots in Byzantine Greece combine religious belief and national pride in a way unfamiliar to most Americans. Shops may close early for local or national celebrations, and hotels may be booked during major events. Verify the dates of events with the Greek National Tourist Organization GNTO or EOT.

Dec. 31:
New Year's Eve is the occasion for carol singing by children and the exchange of gifts.

Jan. 1:
The Feast of Saint Basil marks the beginning of the New Year. A special cake, the Vassilopita, is baked with a coin in it, which brings good luck to the finder.

Jan. 6:
Epiphany, the day for blessing the waters, is the occasion for an official ceremony at Athens's harbor, Piraeus.

Carnival Sunday:
(first Sunday before Lent) Carnivals take place for 3 weeks leading up to this climax of pre-Lenten activities. There are parades and costume balls in many large cities.

Mar. 25:
Independence Day commemorates the call for independence in 1821 by Germanos, the Metropolitan of Patras, which began the uprising in the Peloponnese that eventually freed Greece from Ottoman rule. Today it is marked by parades of the armed forces in Athens.

May 1:
May Day, also known as Labor Day is a national holiday. Families pick wildflowers in the countryside and make them into garlands with garlic. These are hung on doors, balconies, fishing boats, and hoods of cars to ward off evil. There are parades also and rallies.

June-Sept:
The Athens Festival presents ancient dramas, operas, music, and ballet performed by nationally and internationally famous artists, in the 2nd-century Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the south slope of the Acropolis.

August 15:
Assumption of the Virgin Mary. A national holiday, and one on which Greeks traditionally return to their home villages for celebrations.

October 28:
Ochi Day: A national holiday with patriotic parades and much dancing. The day commemorates the reply in 1940 to Mussolini's ultimatum calling for Greek surrender. the answer was a firm: óchi NO!

November 30:
St. Andrew Pátra feast day.
Eve program that provides a shared cultural experience, accessible and affordable to all. First Night Spokane began on December 31, 2001 with thirteen thousand people of all ages crowding downtown streets. Since then, attendance at this community oriented, alcohol-free celebration of New Year's Eve has grown to over 23,000. First Night Spokane has quickly become a regional New Year's Eve tradition for many in and around Spokane County.