Annual Festivals and Bank Holidays

January 1 Feast of Agios Vasílios (St Basil): celebrated all over Greece. Greek for Happy New Year is kali kroniá.
January 6 Epiphany - Blessing of the waters: all over Greece.
February-March Carnival season for three weeks before Lent: all over Greece. Celebrations of special interest are: "Clean" Monday Beginning of fast for Lent. Picnics in the countryside and kite flying, all over Greece.
March 25 Evagelismos : Feast of Annunciation/ Independence Day. Anniversary of Bishop Germanos of Patra raising the standard of revolt against the Turks near Kalavryta in 1821: military parades in all main towns.
Easter Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday are celebrated throughout the Greece.
April 23 St George’s Day
May 1 Labour Day: picnics in the countryside all over Greece.
May 21 The local church of Tolo celebrates its name-day and leading up to the church there is a panayiri (festival/fete) along with live music and spit roasted meat throughout the evening
August 15 Assumption of the Virgin: festivals all over Greece.
October 28 "Ohi (No) Day" - anniversary of Greek defeat of Italian army in 1940 and Metaxas' supposed one-word response to Italy's ultimatum. Military parades in major cities.
Christmas season Children sing kálenda (carols) from door to door for a small gratuity.
December 31 New Year's Eve. More carols. Many Greeks play cards for money on this occasion, and cut the vassilópitta with a lucky coin hidden in