Public holidays in Greece

 

Although there are a few national holidays in Greece where the whole country takes a break, you should know that each island, village and city has its own holidays as well. They usually have to do with the patron saint. Some holidays are not always on the same date every year. Shops, official services as well as public services will be closed on public holidays or will have special schedules and working hours.

Greek holidays
01-01-09	New Year. This is the beginning of the new year when people wish each other 'Kali Chronia.'
06-01-09	Epiphany
25-03-09	National Independence day. The day celebrating the revolt against the Turkish occupation which started in 1821.
16-04-09	Easter Thursday
17-04-09	Easter Friday
19-04-09	Easter
20-04-09	Easter Monday
01-05-09	1 May Day. The day when Greeks collect flowers and make wreathes which they hang on their doors.
23-05-09	Agios Giorgos / Saint George nameday.
08-06-09	Orthodox With Monday
29-06-09	Agios Petros and Agios Pavlos day (Saint Paul and Peter Day).
18-07-09 19-07-09	Profitis Ilias. A big festival commemorated on many mountain tops where churches dedicated to Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elia) are found.
15-08-09	Assumptions.
06-09-09	Metamorfosis.
08-09-09	Genesis Panagias/Birth of Virgin Mary.
14-09-09	Tou Stavrou/Of the Cross.
15-09-09	Agias Panagias. Assumption of the Virgin Mary is widely celebrated, especially on Tinos Island.
30-09-09	Agioi Apostoli/ Holy Apostles.
26-10-09	Agios Dimitrios
28-10-09	Ohi day, when the Greeks told the Italians 'No' (Ohi) in 1940.
08-11-09	Mihail and Gabriel day.
06-12-09	Agios Nikolaos.
25-12-09	Christmas
26-12-09	Bxing Day
31-12-09	New Year's eve when children go from house to house singing carrols (kalanda).

New Year's Day (Protohronia): January 1. Following a morning church ceremony presents are exchanged and there is singing, dancing and feasting. A special cake, called a vasilopita, is baked with a coin inside. The person who eats the piece with the coin will have a year of good luck. The traditional New Year greeting is "Kali Hronia."

Epiphany (Agia Theofania): January 6. Epiphany is the celebration of Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist (St. John). The day is marked by blessing the waters. Around the country rivers, lakes and seas are blessed and crosses immersed in them. The largest celebration is in Piraeus where a cross is thrown into the sea and young men dive to retrieve it.

Ash/Shrove/Clean Monday (Koulouma): The first day of Lent, which is 40 days before Easter. On Ash Monday, it is traditional to go to the countryside for a picnic, fly kites and eat lenten food.

Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation (Evagelismos): March 25. On March 25, 1821 the Bishop of Patra, Germanos, began the uprising that started the War for Independence. Today it is celebrated with military parades in most major cities. Independence Day also coincides with the religious Feast of the Annunciation, so it is also a religious festival.

Orthodox Easter (Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter and Easter Monday): Easter is the most important holiday in the Greek Orthodox religion. In most years it is not celebrated at the same time as Easter in the non-Orthodox Christian religions. If you are traveling in Greece in April or May be sure to check the calendar to see when Orthodox Easter falls. Most people travel home to be with their families so ferries, buses and planes will be fully booked, shops are closed and most businesses take several days holiday.

Good Friday. The festivities begin on Good Friday with "perifora  tou epitafiou", a candlelit procession of a shrouded funeral bier that is carried through the city streets to the local church. Every major city and tiny town in Greece has their own procession, although the most impressive one takes place in Athens where the procession climbs Lykavittos to the Chapel of Agios Georgios.

Holy Saturday/Resurection (Anastasi): On Holy Saturday there is a Resurrection Mass at 11pm. followed at midnight by darkness symbolizing Jesus passing through the underworld and finally by fireworks and a candle light procession through the streets symbolizing Jesus's resurrection.

Easter (Pascha). After the candle light procession through the street, the Lent fast is broken by eating red-dyed eggs and mayiritsa soup (made of lamb and greens). The day is spent with the family, singing, dancing and feasting on roast lamb and red eggs. The greeting for the day is Hristos Anesti (Christ is risen) and the reply is Alithos Anesti (Truly he is risen). Easter Monday. Easter Monday is a national holiday.

Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday in.
2010	4 April	same
2011	15 April	same
2012	5 May
2013	20 April	same
2014	12 April
2015	1 May
2016	16 April	same
2017	8 April
2018	28 April
2019	28 April
2020	19 April
2021	2 May
2022	24 April
2023	16 April
Same = Greek Orthodox Eaters is on the same date as Catholic and Protestant Easter