Greece Travel Information - Annual Events in Greece

Celebrating Greek-style

Life in Greece is a series of festivals and religious holidays. Most citizens follow the Greek Orthodox faith and observe the holy days with enthusiasm.

January

• Gynaikokratia - Each year, on January 8, northern villages reverse genders for the day. Women wile away the day in local cafés chatting, while the men must stay home to cook, clean and do laundry.

February

• Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) - To prepare for the fasting of Lent, Athenians fly colorful kites, play traditional music, feast and dance.
• Rethymno Carnival - The town of Rethymno on Crete celebrates Greek culture with a festival of art, theater, dance, games and food. Treasure hunts, a graffiti festival, fancy-dress balls and kite flying are also part of this three-week festival.

March

• Greek Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation - Each year, Greeks mark their independence from the Ottoman Empire on March 25. This is also the day the archangel Gabriel told Mary she was carrying Christ. Throughout the country, banks and businesses close as everyone either attends or play a role in one of the many parades and church ceremonies.

April

• Orthodox Greek Easter - Easter is the most important holiday on the Greek calendar. Stores, banks and restaurants close while locals end 40 days of fasting with candlelit processions, roast lamb and lots of wine. Be warned, the celebration lasts several days.

May

• Rhodes Flower Parade - Each year, on the last Sunday in May, Rhodes welcomes summer with flowers, flowers, flowers and more flowers. In a riot of color, locals decorate the streets, parade floats, hair and clothes with flowers. Of course, there's also plenty of local food and wine.
• Anastenaria - Each year, in late May, barefoot villagers of Langada (near Thessaloniki) walk over hot coals in a trance to honor Saint Helen and Saint Constantine.

June

• European Jazz Festival at Technopolis - First held in 2001, this annual jazz fest has grown rapidly and attracts some of the best-known jazz names in Europe.
• FIA World Rally Championship - Part of the FIA World Cup Rally, this race course winds past some of Athens' most recognizable landmarks.

July

• International Art Festival - In Chania, Crete, the Omma Center of Contemporary Arts hosts one of the largest art exhibitions in Greece. Sculptors, painters, engravers and photographers from around the world come to showcase their work.
• International Aegean Sailing Rally - Greece's oldest and most prestigious sailing regatta, this event has evolved from a straightforward race to a nationwide sailing festival with elaborate pre- and post-race parties.

August

• Nights Under the Full Moon - Throughout August, Athens puts the spotlight on its monuments and archaeological sites. Admission is free, and these sites serve as venues for moonlit concerts and other events.
• Zakynthos Carnival - Every August, Zakynthos hosts a carnival with parades, street performers and dancing. The two-week festival closes with a mock funeral that "buries" the Carnival King. Locals blame this strange behavior on Dionysus, whose spirits seems to have overseen the whole odd event.

September

• Wine Festivals - Throughout Greece, expect to find wine festivals as the grapes are harvested. Thessaloniki, Corinth and Kos are just a few Greek cities to host tributes to Dionysus.

October

• Panorama of European Cinema Film Festival - Athens' biggest film festival shows films from around the globe. While the festival shows films by Hollywood directors like Woody Allen and Oliver Stone, it also pays special honors to Greek cinema artists.
• Oxi Day - In Greek, oxi (or okhi) means "no." Every year, on October 28, Greeks mark their country's refusal to accept Mussolini's ultimatum, which launched them into World War II. Throughout Greece, soldiers, military vehicles and students parade through city streets.

December

• Gift Exchange - Every December 31, Gythio celebrates with fireworks, feasts and a gift exchange in the public square. Expect the menu to reflect their title as the octopus capital of Greece.