On 25 March 2021, the whole world turns Greek to celebrate Greece’s 200 years of freedom!
The Greek Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually in Greece on 25 March, commemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. It coincides with the Greek Orthodox Church’s celebration of the Annunciation to the Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would bear the son of God. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453. The Greek revolt was precipitated on March 25, 1821, when Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese. The cry “Freedom or death” became the motto of the revolution.
From antiquity to today, Greece has lived through major historical events. The country was involved in many wars: Persian wars, the wars of Alexander the Great, etc. In modern Greek history, from 1821 till of today, Greece was involved in two major wars – its War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire and World War II.
The Greek struggle had elicited strong sympathy in Europe, and many leading intellectuals had promoted the Greek cause, including the English poet Lord Byron. At the naval Battle of Navarino, the combined British, French, and Russian forces destroyed an Ottoman-Egyptian fleet. The revolution ended in 1829 when the Treaty of Edirne established an independent Greek state.
In celebration of Greek Independence Day, towns and villages throughout Greece hold a school flag parade, during which schoolchildren march in traditional Greek costume and carry Greek flags. There are also armed forces parades, the biggest one takes place in Athens. The entire world will turn Greek to mark Greece’s bicentennial, commemorating 200 years since the declaration of its War of Independence. In every corner of the globe where members of the Greek Diaspora are present, the anniversary will be marked. Iconic landmarks in all of those countries will be illuminated in blue and white in honour of the Greek people and their struggle for freedom 200 years ago.
Did you know?
- Greece’s official name is the Hellenic Republic. It is known as Hellas or Ellada.
- Greek is one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe since it has been spoken for more than 3.000 years.
- Greece enjoys more than 250 days of sunshine – or 3,000 sunny hours a year. The most among European countries.
- No point in Greece is more than 85 miles or 137 kilometers from water.
- Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world.
- There are more than 2000 islands in the Greek territory, but only 170 are populated.
Is it all Greek to you? Improve your interpreting skills with the Speech Repository, where you will find 72 public and 14 restricted recordings in Greek on various subjects. Get started now!
Happy practice!
Your Speech Repository Team