Public holidays in Greece
According to Greek Law every Sunday of the year is a public holiday. In addition, there are four obligatory, official public holidays: March 25, Easter Monday, August 15 and December 25. Two more days, May 1 and October 28,th are regulated by law as optional but it is customary for employees to be given the day off. There are, however, more public holidays celebrated in Greece than are announced by the Ministry of Labour each year as either obligatory or optional. The list of these non-fixed National Holidays rarely changes and has not changed in recent decades, giving a total of eleven National Holidays each year.
A public holiday that occurs on a Sunday is not transferred to another date, with the exception of May 1, which is regarded by the locals more as a General strike than a Public Holiday.
In addition to the National Holidays, there Public Holidays that are not celebrated nationwide, but only by a specific professional group or a local community. For example many municipalities have a patron Saint or a Liberation Day, and at this day is customary for schools to have a day off.
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[edit] National Holidays
| National Holidays | |||||
| Date | English Name | Greek Name (transliterated) | Greek Name | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Protochronia | Πρωτοχρονιά | Also celebrated ecclesiastically as the feast of St. Basil the Great and of the Circumcision of Christ. | 3 |
| January 6 | Epiphany or Theophany | Theophaneia | Θεοφάνεια | 3 | |
| moveable Easter – 41 days |
Clean Monday or Shrove Monday | Kathara Deftera | Καθαρά Δευτέρα | The first day of Lent.Next: February 27, 2012 | 3 |
| March 25 | Annunciation | Evagelismos tis Theotokou | Ευαγγελισμός της Θεορόκου | Celebration of the Annunciation – when the Incarnation of Logos was announced to the Virgin Mary. | 1 |
| Independence Day | Eikosti-pempti Martiou (lit. March 25) |
Εικοστή Πέμπτη Μαρτιου | Anniversary of the declaration of the start of Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, in 1821. | ||
| moveable Easter – 2 days |
Good Friday | Megali Paraskevi | Μεγάλη Παρασκευή | Next: April 13, 2012 | 3 |
| moveable | Easter | Kyriaki tou Pascha | Κυριακή του Πάσχα | Next: April 15, 2012 | * |
| moveable Easter + 1 day |
Easter Monday | Deutera tou Pascha | Δευτέρα του Πάσχα | Next: April 16, 2012 | 1 |
| May 1 | Labor Day | Ergatiki Protomagia (lit. May 1 of the Workers) |
Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά | 2,4 | |
| August 15 | Assumption or Dormition of the Holy Virgin | I Kimisis tis Theotokou | Η Κοίμησις της Θεοτόκου | The most important celebration of the Virgin Mary | 1 |
| October 28 | The "Ochi day" | 'To Ochi' or 'Imera tou Ochi" (lit. Day of the "No") |
Το Όχι or Ημέρα του Όχι | Celebration of the Greek refusal to the Italian ultimatum of 1940. | 2 |
| December 25 | Christmas | Christougenna | Χριστούγεννα | 1 | |
| December 26 | Glorifying Mother of God | Synaxis Hyperagias Theotokou Marias | Σύναξις Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου Μαρίας | The religious meaning of the holiday is a coming together to glorify the Theotokos.But in general and in effect the day is considered a holiday because it's the day after Christmas just like Boxing Day in some Commonwealth countries. | 3 |
* Note that Easter Sunday, is not an official holiday as it always occurs on Sunday
1 Obligatory, fixed by law
2 Optional, regulated by law
3 Customary, regulated by the Ministry
4 Regarded as a General Stike, can be transferred to another date.
[edit] Profession Specific Holidays
| Profession Specific Holidays | |||||
| Date | English Name | Greek Name (transliterated) | Greek Name | Applies to | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 30 | The Three Holy Hierarchs | Trion Ierarchon | Τριών Ιεραρχών | Education | Commemoration of the patron saints of education (St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. John Chrysostom) |
| moveable Easter + 50 days |
Whit Monday | Aghiou Pnevmatos (lit. Of the Holy Spirit) |
Αγίου Πνεύματος | Public Sector, a number of professional groups | Monday of the Holy Spirit or Pentecost Monday. Next: June 13, 2011 & May 28, 2012 |
| November 17 | Polytechneio | Polytechneio | Πολυτεχνείο | Education | Anniversary of the 1973 students protests against the junta of the colonels (1967–1974). |
[edit] Bibliography
- Tomkinson, John L. Festive Greece: A Calendar of Tradition. Athens: Anagnosis, 2003, ISBN 9608718678
[edit] External links
- List of the various days envisaged as non-working days pursuant to Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1182/71 of June 3, 1971 [1]
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