There are many more Greek holidays than we are used to in the Netherlands and Flanders. Public holidays may also differ per region.
- January 1 New Year’s Day
- January 6 Epiphany
- March 6 Ash Monday
- March 13 ** 1st Monday of Lent
- March 25 Independence Day
- April 21 ** Greek Good Friday
- April 23/April 24 ** Greek Easter festival Fourka Friday after Easter ** Zoodochos Pighi festival
- May 1 Labor Day Alexandroupolis
- May 5-14 Elefteria: liberation day from the Turks Chanioti
- May 21 Agios Konstantinos and Eleni party Ververate, Dafnona, Flatsia
- May 21 Agios Konstantinos Didimoticho
- May 24-26 Party with folk dance, music and an imitation of a traditional wedding in Alexandroupolis
- June Nautical weeks Alexandroupolis
- June Flower Show (1st 10 days of the month) Vrondou
- June Feast of the Holy Spirit; religious festival in the Trinity Church Korinos
- June Pontia festival, cultural festival Greece
- June 12 ** Greek Pentecost Peristasi
- June 26 Agios Ioannis festival Methoni
- June 29 Festival, in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul Sani
- July/August Lots of music and dancing during the Sani festival in the Sani Beach hotel Alexandroupolis
- July – August Siviri Wine Festival
- July/August Cultural festival Alexandroupolis
- July Cultural festival at the Theater in Egnatia Park Arnea (Halkidiki
- July Makrigialos Folk Festival
- July Mussel festival Nea Moudania
- mid-July ** Sardine festival Maherado
- July 1 Agia Mavra Fourka
- July 17 Agia Marina party Alexandroupolis
- July 15 – August 30 Samothraki Cultural Festival
- July 20 Local festivities Agia Paraskevi
- July 26 Agia Paraskevi feast Dion
- July 26 Agia Paraskevi, patron saint of Dion Makri, Avdira
- July 26 Feast of Aghia Paraskevi Samothraki
- July 26 Local festivities Alonia
- July 27 Feast in honor of Saint Agios Panteleimonas Arnea
- July 26, Socratia; athletics event Didimoticho
- August Feast in honor of the Byzantine castle Litohoro / Dion
- August Olympus festival Platamonas
- August Olympus festival, held in the Byzantine crusader castle of Rizia
- August Zakynthos Town Summer Cultural Festival
- August Festival of Medieval Theater Arts Greece
- August 15 Assumption Paralia
- August 22 – 31 Bicycle Rally Zakynthos Town
- August 24 Procession of St. Agios Dionysos (patron saint of the island) Agia Paraskevi
- August 29 Agios Ioannis festival Zakynthos
- end of August – beginning of September Thessaloniki Wine Festival
- September Katerini Film Festival
- September 1 – 7 Trade festival Agios Mamas
- September 2 Agios Ioannis feast Orthonies
- September 8 Spiliotissa Eginio
- September 12 – 18 Trade festival Nikiti (Sithonia)
- September 15 Eginio Folk Festival
- around September 17 Traditional cultural festival with folk dance and theater on the square in front of the Agios Andreas church Thessaloniki
- September 22-23 Light and Sound Festival Thessaloniki
- October Cultural festival in honor of St. Demetrius Thessaloniki
- October Light and Sound Festival Thessaloniki
- October Cultural festival in honor of St. Demetrius Thessaloniki
- October Katerini Light and Sound Festival October 16 Feast in memory of the liberation of Katerini in 1912 Greece
- October 28 Ochi Day (beginning of the 2nd World War) Zakynthos Town
- December 17 Procession of St. Agios Dionysos Greece December 25 Christmas
** these dates may fall on a different date each year
Please note: museums, excavations, shops, banks, etc. may be closed on official holidays.
Name Day
In Greece, celebrating a name day is almost as important as celebrating a birthday, if not more important. Due to the Greeks’ high belief in saints, most children are named after saints. On the days on which the saints in question are commemorated, the people named after this saint have their name day.
Greek Easter.
For the Greeks, Easter is the most important festival of the year, more important than Christmas.
On Good Friday, the EMITjIOV, the embroidered and flower-decorated images of the entombment of Christ are exhibited and carried around in procession. They are elegies held on Good Friday. The church is in full regalia for the upcoming mass.
Just before midnight on Saturday is the moment, H ANASTASH the resurrection. Mass begins. Meanwhile, people are collecting branches outside to burn “JUDAS”. A little later the priest comes out with all the faithful. People are ready to call ANASTASI. Exactly at midnight the time has come, H ANASTASH, the resurrection. The fire is lit, everyone can ring the bells if he or she wants.
Time for Tsourekia and Koulourakia and of course the painted eggs.