Greek National Day Date: October 28
Cyprus celebrates Greek National Day as a public holiday.
Greek National Day, popularly know as “Ochi Day”, is celebrated as a National Holiday in Cyprus. On October 28, Cyprus celebrates the anniversary when Greece said “No” to surrendering to Italy.
History of Greek National Day in Cyprus
Greek National Day remembers the day in October 1940 when the Greek General Ioannis Metaxas answered a defiant “ochi” (“no” in
Greek) to Italy’s request to cross the country en route to Russia. It was a “No!” that dragged Greece into the war on the Allied side;
Greece was incidentally Britain’s only ally against Hitler. Not only did Greece refuse to give Mussolini’s forces free passage, they seized the offensive and drove them back through most of Albania.
Had Metaxas not said “No!” and agreed to surrender, World War II might have lasted considerably longer, and Hitler would have been able to invade Russia in spring, rather than making his disastrous attempt to take it in winter. Historians credit the Greeks’ fierce resistance to the later German paratrooper landings on the island of Crete with convincing Hitler that such attacks cost too many German lives. Western nations may owe modern Greece an equal but usually unrecognized debt for helping to preserve democracy against its enemies during World War II.
Cyprus’ Greek National Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
Greek National Day in Cyprus is a national holiday. All businesses, shops, schools, and offices remain closed on this day. Throughout
Cyprus various celebrations are organized, often including dance and music. The major towns in Cyprus conduct a military parade whereas the coastal towns conduct naval parades. Many Orthodox churches in Cyprus hold special services on Greek National Day.
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