Ochi Day Date: October 28
Greece celebrates Ochi Day as a public holiday.
On October 28, Greece celebrates the anniversary of when it said “No” to surrendering to Italy. Ochi Day is a national holiday in Greece.
History of Ochi Day in Greece
Italy, backed by Hitler in October, 1940, wanted to occupy Greece; General Ioannis Metaxas simply responded with “Ochi!” – “No!”. It was a “No!” that brought Greece into the war on the Allied side; for a time, Greece was incidentally Britain’s only ally against Hitler. Not only did Greece refuse to give Mussolini’s forces free passage, it seized the offensive and drove the Italians 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 make his disastrous attempt to take it in winter. Historians credit the Greek’s fierce resistance to the later German paratrooper landings on the island of Crete with convincing Hitler that such attacks would cost too many German lives. Western nations, always happy to credit ancient Greece with the development of democracy, may owe modern Greece an equal but usually unrecognized debt for helping to preserve democracy against its enemies during World War II.
Greece’s Ochi Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
Ochi day in Greece is a national holiday. All schools, shops, and offices remain closed on this day. The major towns in Greece conduct a military parade whereas the coastal towns conduct naval parades. All Greek television channels play Greek war movies commemorating heroic acts during the wartime years. Many Greek Orthodox churches hold special services on Ochi Day.
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