✦ Ancient Greeks celebrated religious festivals honoring their Gods. There were different festivals for different deities, such as Chalceia devoted to goddess Athena and Haloa devoted to Demeter.
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Easter is an important festival in Greece. The traditional meal
consists of lamb liver and wild greens with egg and lemon sauce. Magiritsa
or Easter soup, an Easter cake, and red eggs are served. The Greek
island Corfu is famous for its Easter celebrations.
✦ The New Year's Day, which is also St. Basil's Day is celebrated in Greece. On this day, Greeks bake a cake called Vasilopita which has a coin hidden inside. It is believed to bring good luck.
✦ The Patras Carnival consists of a series of events that begin on January 17 every year and continue till Clean Monday. It is the largest event of its kind and has a history of more than 100 years.
✦ Thessaloniki was a Greek Song Festival celebrated between 1959 and 1997 and then from 2005 to 2008. It was originally hosted at Athens and later shifted to Thessaloniki.
✦ The Rockwave Festival is a famous music festival held in Greece. The Olympus Festival celebrates Greek music and theater. The Plisskėn Festival is another music festival. It is organized in Athens.
✦ Art Athina is an international contemporary art fair held annually in Athens. The Athens - Epidaurus Festival held annually in Athens and Epidaurus from May to October celebrates Greek music and theater and has cultural events.
✦ The Mykonos Biennale held every odd year on the island of Mykonos is dedicated to art and philosophy.
✦
Beginning in 2006 in Ikaria, the Icarus Festival for Dialogue between
Cultures is an international music festival that hosts multicultural
events in music.
Greek presidential guards Greece independence day parade
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March 25, the Greek Independence Day is a national holiday in Greece.
On this day, flag parades are held in towns and villages wherein school
children wear traditional Greek costumes and march with the Greek flags
in hand. A parade of the Armed Forces in held in Athens.
✦
October 28 is celebrated as the Ohi Day in memory of Prime Minister
Ioannis Metaxas who rejected the ultimatum given to him by dictator
Mussolini on this day in 1940.
✦ When talking about Greek
culture, one cannot forget the Olympic Games. The Greeks started
holding athletic contests in honor of their Gods. The ancient Olympics
began in 776 B.C. in honor of Zeus. These games expanded to five days
and later started including many sports events.
