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According to Greek law every Sunday of the year is a public holiday. In addition, there are nine mandatory, official public holidays: New Year's Day, 6 January, Clean Monday, 25 March,Orthodox Good Friday, Orthodox Easter Monday, 1 May, Orthodox Whit Monday, 15 August, 28 October, 25 December and 26 December. There are, however, more public holidays celebrated in Greece than are announced by the Ministry of Labour each year as mandatory. The list of these non-fixed National Holidays rarely changes and has not changed in recent decades, giving a total of twelve National Holidays each year.
A public holiday that occurs on a Sunday is not transferred to another date, with the exception of 1 May, which is regarded by the locals more as a general strike than a public holiday.
In addition to the national holidays, some 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 also called 'Name Day' or a Liberation Day, and at this day it is customary for schools to have a day off.
National holidays
| National Holidays | |||||
| Date | English Name | Greek Name (transliterated/transcribed) | Greek Name | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Protochroniá | Πρωτοχρονιά | Also celebrated ecclesiastically as the feast of St. Basil the Great and of the Circumcision of Christ. | |
| 6 January | Epiphany | Theophánia | Θεοφάνια | ||
| moveable (day after Orthodox Carnival) | Clean Monday | Kathara Deftera | Καθαρά Δευτέρα | ||
| 25 March | Independence Day | Ikostí-pémpti Martíou (lit. 25 March) |
Εικοστή Πέμπτη Μαρτίου | Anniversary of the declaration of the start of Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, in 1821. | |
| moveable (day before Orthodox Easter) | Good Friday | Megáli Paraskeví | Μεγάλη Παρασκευή | ||
| moveable (day after Orthodox Easter) | Easter Monday | Deftéra tou Páscha | Δευτέρα του Πάσχα | ||
| 1 May | Labour Day | Ergatikí Protomagiá (lit. 1 May of the Workers) |
Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά | ||
| moveable (day after Orthodox Pentecost) | Whit Monday | Deftéra tis Pentikostís | Του Αγίου Πνεύματος | ||
| 15 August | Dormition of the Mother of God | Kímisi tis Theotókou | Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου | The most important celebration of the Virgin Mary. | |
| 28 October | Ohi Day | 'To Ohi' or 'Imera tou Ohi' (lit. Day of the "No") |
Το Όχι or Ημέρα του Όχι | Celebration of the Greek refusal to the Italian ultimatum of 1940. | |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | Christoúyenna | Χριστούγεννα | ||
| 26 December | Glorifying Mother of God | Sínaxis Yperagías Theotókou Marías | Σύναξις Υπεραγίας 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. | |
- "Ποιες είναι οι ημέρες υποχρεωτικής αργίας". ΚΕ.Π.Ε.Α./Γ.Σ.Ε.Ε. (in Greek). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
Profession-specific holidays
| Profession-specific Holidays | |||||
| Date | English Name | Greek Name (transliterated) | Greek Name | Applies to | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 January | 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) |
| 17 November | Polytechnio | Polytechnio | Πολυτεχνείο | Education | Anniversary of the 1973 students protests against the junta of the colonels (1967–1974). |
Bibliography
- Tomkinson, John L. Festive Greece: A Calendar of Tradition. Athens: Anagnosis, 2003, ISBN 960-87186-7-8
- Τ.Ε.Ι. Σερρών, Τμήμα Λογιστικής
External links
- List of the various days envisaged as non-working days pursuant to Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1182/71 of 3 June 1971
| Public holidays in Europe | |
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| Sovereign states |
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| States with limited recognition | |
| Dependencies and other entities | |
| Other entities | |
