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Festivals & Public Holidays
Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival
Our villas are ideally placed for visitors to the Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival which is supported by the Norwegian Embassy at Athens and the Norwegian Institute at Athens is held every June in Makrigialos. The 2010 Festival programme is now available on the Festival website http://www.casadeimezzo-festival.com/
Bank Holidays
Banks and ordinary shops close on Bank Holidays but tavernas and tourist shops are usually open.
The Bank Holidays are :
New Year's Day January 1
Epiphany January 6
Greek Independence Day March 25
Good Friday April 10
Easter Monday April 13
Labour Day May 1
Assumption Day August 15
Oki Day October 28
Christmas Day December 25
Easter
Easter is the biggest event in the Greek Orthodox calendar, more so than Christmas. The celebrations include a carnival, parties and fancy dress parades which end with a float parade and people in fancy dress. The following day is a public holiday known as Clean Monday. It is traditionally celebrated with family picnics and kite flying.
May Day
Families usually drive out into the country to picnic together and gather flowers. They decorate the front of their car with flowers and also make a wreath to hang above their front door to bring them good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Name Days
All Greeks take their name from Saints and therefore celebrate on that particular Saint's day; these are known as Name Days. The celebration of Name Days is far more significant to Greeks than Birthdays. Don't be surprised if you come across someone celebrating a name day, and if you do, the appropriate greeting is Kronia Polla!