Greek festivals follow two calendars: the civil one, with the great dates of national history, and the Orthodox religious one, with Easter and saints' days. On top come hundreds of local festivals and summer cultural events.
Public holidays
| Date | Holiday | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year and St Basil | The vasilopita is cut |
| 6 January | Epiphany (Theofania) | Blessing of the waters |
| Movable (15 March 2027) | Kathara Deftera, Clean Monday | Start of Lent, picnics and kites |
| 25 March | National Day and Annunciation | Anniversary of the 1821 revolution, parades |
| Movable (30 April 2027) | Good Friday | Half day in many offices |
| Movable (3 May 2027) | Easter Monday | |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Flowers gathered for May wreaths |
| Movable (21 June 2027) | Whit Monday (Agiou Pnevmatos) | 50 days after Easter |
| 15 August | Dormition of the Virgin (Koimisi tis Theotokou) | The great summer feast |
| 28 October | Ochi Day | Commemorates the rejection of Italy's 1940 ultimatum, parades |
| 25 December | Christmas | |
| 26 December | Synaxis of the Mother of God |
On 17 November, anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising, schools and universities close and a large march takes place in Athens.
Name days
For Greeks the name day (giorti) matters more than a birthday: you celebrate the day of the saint whose name you bear, and friends and family drop by with sweets and wishes. On the days of the most common saints, such as St George (23 April), Sts Constantine and Helen (21 May), St Demetrios (26 October) or St Nicholas (6 December), half of Greece is celebrating. The wish is always Chronia polla!, "Many years!".
Carnival
Carnival (Apokries) lasts three weeks before Lent. The most famous is in Patras, one of Europe's largest, with floats and a grand parade on the last Sunday. Unusual traditions include Skyros, with geroi dressed in goatskins and cowbells, Naoussa with its genitsari masks, and Galaxidi, where on Clean Monday residents pelt each other with coloured flour (alevromoutzouroma).
Calendar of folk festivals
| When | Festival | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 23 April | St George, horse races and feasts | Lemnos, Asi Gonia (Crete), many villages |
| 21-23 May | Anastenaria: barefoot dancing on hot coals carrying icons of Sts Constantine and Helen | Agia Eleni and Langadas (Macedonia) |
| Late May | Commemoration of the Battle of Crete (1941) | Chania |
| June | Klidonas, St John's Eve, bonfire jumping | Many villages |
| July-August | Panigyria, saints' day festivals with music and dancing till dawn | Islands and villages, especially Ikaria and Crete |
| 15 August | Dormition of the Virgin, pilgrimages | Tinos, Paros (Panagia Ekatontapiliani), many islands |
| 11 August and other dates | Processions of St Spyridon, patron saint | Corfu |
| 26 October | St Demetrios, the city's patron | Thessaloniki |
| 7-8 November | Archangels Michael and Gabriel | Panormitis (Symi), Mantamados (Lesbos) |
On 15 August tens of thousands of pilgrims travel to Tinos, where the church of Panagia Evangelistria holds a miracle-working icon; many climb from the port to the church on their knees.
Panigyria
A panigyri is the feast of the saint to whom a village church is dedicated. After a solemn service comes a great outdoor feast, often with boiled meat or goat, local wine and live music, and dancing in a circle until morning. They are the best way to experience authentic Greece: anyone passing is invited. The most famous are on Ikaria, where the festivities last all night and proceeds go to the community.
Cultural festivals
| Festival | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Athens and Epidaurus Festival | June-August | Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Epidaurus theatre and other venues |
| Kalamata Dance Festival | July | Kalamata |
| Thessaloniki Film Festival | November | Thessaloniki |
| Thessaloniki Documentary Festival | March | Thessaloniki |
| Lycabettus Festival | Summer | Lycabettus Theatre, Athens |
| Patras Carnival | January-February or March | Patras |
See also Easter, Christmas, dances and the Orthodox Church.