Our national, religious, traditional, holidays .

28th October National

Anniversary The anniversary of ‘NO’,

brings in mind the denial of Greece to the Italian demands of the ultimatum on 28th October, 1940, by the Greek Dictator Ioannis Metaxas, under the title of Prime Minister. As a consequence, the country entered the Second World War and the beginning of the Greek-Italian War.

Upper photo:Newspaper of Government, the entrance of Greece to

the war…Lower photo: Soldiers

walking to the front of war…

This day was introduced to be, annually, an official celebration and a holiday. The day before, on 27th October, events take place in all schools of the country . The day of celebration after the attending mass, wreaths are laid on the monuments of the heroes and marshes are made by students , the Armed Forces, the Cultural Clubs, the Red

Cross etc…

Brigades Michael 7 Gabriel, 8th November local religious celebration, a celebration of Military Airforce

Every place in Greece has its Patron Saint, that means its Holy Saint. Usually, the Patron Saintis the Saint who bears the name of the church of the place.

That day, in Milies, the habitants and the students go to church, which it celebrates the Brigades Michael and Gabriel , as well as Angels of Heaven.

The angel Michael advised the Forces of Angels not to follow the Fallen Angel, who forgot God, but to stay faithfup to Him. The sing hymns for Him, they serve the Salvation Work of Humans. After the attending mass, bread and

apple pie are offered to all people, who are present.

breadApple pie

Anniversary of Polytechnic School,17th October (school

holiday)The riot of University students, during the Military Regime, started

since the conquest of the Polytechnic School of Athens, on 14th October, 1973 and ended on 17th October, 1973. The riot

happened after a series of events until the invasion of a military tank into the Polytechnic School and the reset of the military Law,

which had forbidden the gathering and circulation of people in Athens and Thessaloniki.

Due to this riot, the military government fell off and democracy was gained in the country it was firstly born. The dream of students became ‘flesh and blood’ eight months after their

sacrifice. In their memory, this day, in all schools of the country special events take place.

Christmas show the day of birth of Christ and of all the celebrations since that day to the day of

Epiphany.Christmas are celebrated on 25th December, the

New Year’s Day on 1st January, the Epiphany on 6th January .

The days for that period, including these celebrations are called Twelveday

In Greece, ‘Christmas Celabrations’, combine international and Greek customs

International customs: Santa Claus (in red suit) , the decoration of the Christmas tree ,but also of all the houses and the gardens,

before Christmas until the Epiphany, the Christmas Calendar, where someone counts the days of December until Christmas, the

Christmas stocking, where someone puts the gifts to exchange, the welcome of the new Year in champagne, fireworks etc…

The greek Christmas customs are a combination of religious and local

traditions

Santa Claus 

New Year’s pomegranate

(welcome of the New Year, with the breaking of a pomegranate, as a symbol of good luck)

Decoration of ships (a greek custom, that has a connection to the occupation of Greeks with the sea, but also as a symbol of the Church)

 Carols of Christmas and New Year’s and Carols of Epiphany (songs , usually, sung on the day before the celebrations)

Diving of the Cross in a seaside, or , if necessary, in a tank of water. Anyone who finds and takes the Cross, is considered lucky and sanctification for the houses of the area)

During Christmas, in Greece, they prepere and

eat special food nas sweets, like turkey, Christmas pie, New Year’s pie, sugared

puns etc…, that complete the traditional festival table

Sugared puns Christmas’ pieNew Year’s pie(with a gold coin)

turkey

Carnival  οis the three weeks period until the Clean/Ash

Monday. After it, it begins the forty days’ fast (a period of 40 days fast until the Clean Week

for the preparation of Christians for the Resurrection of Christ). These days there is the custom of having fun, of wearing masks,

an old custom since the celebrations of the Roman Era, or even more, since the ancient

celebrations of Greeks, in honour of God Dionysos from Mythology.

Bourboulia:Evening dances, where girls come freely with no escort,

dressed in long, black domino dress and mask, so they can’t be recognized and then they

have the initiative to choose a partner in dance.

A marching of carnival chariots

Fanos: fires and outdoor festivals in

the neighbours of

the city

 Vlachic wedding : a

wedding between young people, where the bride may be a

disguised man!

Janissaries and Mpoules:

Τa ceremony of being an adult, when the young

person, dressed in feminine clothes,

disposes them and transforms.

Koukounades:They cause great noise and locally they remind of a disaster

Gaitanaki:A carnival dance

The Great Monday:It starts the fast and it is a holiday. It is named so, because Christians get ‘cleaned’ spiritually and physically. It is a custom to eat unfermented bread (lagana), made only at that day and other lenten food, to make a trip to the country, to fly the Kite, to dance (gaitanaki) , and other old customs.

lagana

Flying of the Kite

Double celebration for Hellenism:25th MarchNational:

beginning of the Revolution of 1821

25th March is the day of the announcement of the Greek revolution against the Ottomans Turks, by the leader

‘Alexandros Ipsilantis’. It is

celebrated every year as a holiday, when all schools have events, the day before. The

day of the celebration, after the

attending mass, there are laying of

wreaths to the monuments of the

heroes and marches by students, the

Armed Forces etc…

Christian: the message of Angel to the Mother of God

The 25th March, is a day of celebration of the given message of Angel Gabriel to the Mother of God, for the Christ’s birth

Easter:it is the greatest religious celebration of Cristians, as it memorises the death of Christ, but mainly the resurrection of Him – the absolute symbol of regeneration, of the transition fron death to life, of hope- the week that starts before Sunday is called Holy Week, in the memory of all the events that are considered especially important for the Christian Religion. It is a week of fast, praying, attending mass, and abstention of working (holidays for schools)

Customs and traditionsGreat Monday:Fast for everybodyG. Tuesday: devoted to the cleaning of the HouseG. Wednesday: preparation of the year’s leaven. At the afternoon, in churches, we have the Mystery of the Great Unction. Women go to churches having a bowl of flour, with three candles, leaving them burning during the mystery. That flour is used for the eastern cakes the following day.

G. Thursday: Red Thursday We paint the eggs red, as a memory of the blood of Christ in His martyr . The egg has another symbolism, the one of the Resurrection. With the egg, Christians symbolized the tomb, where the Christ resurrected - that is why we break eggs after the Resurrection. In some places , they prepare the effigy of Jude, with old clothes and they burn it on G. Friday.In many places, women make brioches or ‘Cakes of Lambri’, that symbolize the Resurrection, too, while the flour transforms , through the kneading, into bread.In churches, during the night, the decoration of the Epitaph is made by women and girls, and some of them bewail the dead, as they are used to do for every dear dead of theirs. In some churches, the decoration happens in G. Friday at noon.

G. Saturday: The celebration of the Resurrection. During the day it is the preparation of the grill of the lamb or the goat, that will be eaten the following day. The night, during the saint liturgy, people share

the Holy Light with their candles, with the happening of fireworks. People, after the end of the liturgy, they take the Holy Light home and they keep it on for forty days, according to the

custom of every place.

G.Friday: The night, the periphery of the Epitaph takes place, while the bells are tinkled sadly all day long. After the going around , Christians take the flowers and they keep it in the icons. The fast of the day is austere, included the ban of oil while the custom forbids every work.

Sunday of Easter: Eggs, fun and lamp!! Since early in the morning, they grill the traditional lamp in spit , while friends and relatives are gathered in the same festival table , to eat and celebrate until late afternoon .

On May 1886, the working Unions in Chicago, were risen up, demanding a shift of eight hours and better working conditions. It is also celebrated as a day of Flowers and Spring

1st May in Greece:In 1892, the first concentration took place in Greece. The workers demonstrated on eight hours working, on demanding Sunday as a day off and on public insurance to the victims of working accidents.  In 1894, a great concentration take place with the same demands. In 1936, the Tobacco workers in Thessaloniki faced the Police and the Army, who tried to dissipate them and other concentrations with shootings. We had, at least 12 dead people and 300 injured.Tn 1911, after 17 years, it was finally celebrated again that day of the 1st of May. During all that period of time, a lot of strikes were happened and a lot of Unions were created. The same year, in Athens, it was decided to celebrate the Day of 1st May , under the slogan ‘ 8 hours of working, 8 hours of resting, 8 hours of sleeping’ . In 1919, it is nationally celebrated. Today, the 1st of May is , certainly, a holiday .

Pentecost It is named, according to the New Testament the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, that took place on the fiftieth

day after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In memory of this event, every year, Christians celebrate in

brilliance, the event of Pentecost. The celebration of the Holy Spirit is a moveable feast, always on Monday, seven weeks

after Easter. The day is a aholiday.

Summer holidaysFor the schools of my country, holidays start on 15th of

June and finish in the end of August. Besides, the weather conditions, don’t allow the rest of the students

in classrooms. On 1st of September, all teachers are back in schools and on 11th of the same month, the new

School Year starts!!

Thank you for your attention!!

The students of the 5th and the 6th grade of the 1st Three-

Graded Primary School of Milies

RESOURCES WEBSITES: http://omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr/press.php?id=5389http://el.wikipedia.orghttp://orchomenos-press.blogspot.grhttp://www.eviaportal.grhttp://www.patrasevents.grhttp://ai-vres.blogspot.grhttp://www.exedra.grhttp://taxydromos.grhttp://www.ethnos.gr http://www.mjlies.gr http://www.mama365.gr/8979/to-ethima-ths-megalhs-evdomadas.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be

made of the information contained therein.