The celebration day of the Greek revolution takes place in Greece and Cyprus every single year. The day of the celebration is an official holiday and Greece and Cyprus celebrating the Annunciation of virgin Mary too. Celebrating events usually include parades and other festive events on the same day or the previous day. The largest events are a military parade in Athens on March 25, while the previous one, on March 24, is a school holiday in the country’s schools. In other municipality’s parades of military departments, students, clubs, etc., as well as praises in temples.
The celebration for this day was established in 1838 from the Royal Decree by the government in honor of Greece 1821 war of Independence.
In 29th of May 1453 Istanbul was under attack by the Turks. Fighting against them, Constantinos Palaiologos (the last emperor) was killed and the city passed to the hands of the Turks. A difficult period, which lasted nearly 400 years, had just started for the Greeks. Greek churches are closing down and every Greek is forced to speak Turkish.
The Greek Revolution in Crete was the revolution of the subjugations of the Greeks of Crete against the Ottoman conquerors, which began in April 1821 and lasted until 1830. Despite the successes of the revolutionaries, Crete was not included in the new Greek state. However, despite these hard conditions, the credibility of the Cretans for freedom leaded them to the revolution. The Cretans, when they were informed of the outbreak of the revolution in mainland Greece and the islands they decided to revolt. On the other side, the information about the Cretan uprising enraged the Turks, who arrested, tortured and hung up many people. The first major victory of the rebels took place on June 14, 1821 In Chania and this were the Turks responded with the massacres of civilians, looting of houses, shops and churches in Chania. In Western Crete the Turks watching the braveness and the resistance of the Cretans he decide to find another way to submission them by releasing the local bishop in order to ask them to hand over their weapons and subordinate.
Many unorganized attempts against the Turks have failed during these years. In 1814 the named Friendly Society is founded by Athanassios Tsakalof, Emanuel Xanthos and Nikolaos Skoufas and It was a secret society which had the aim to organize a Greek revolution against the Turks.Ali Pasha’s rebellion against the sultan in 1820 gave to the Greeks an opportunity which they have been waiting for.
On March 25th the bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Greek flag at the monastery of Agia Lavra in Peloponnese and this act was marked as the beginning of the war. The war spread out throughout Peloponnese and afterwards in many island as well.The war lasted for 9 years until the first small part of modern Greece was liberated. The struggle for the liberation of the rest of the land continued. In 1864 the Ionian Islands were added to Greece. In 1881 part of Thessaly, Crete and islands from the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia in 1913. After World War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece.The Greeks fought in 1821 for their Country so that it can be saved and not altered.Greece gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire by a Protocol signed in London on January 22, 1830 between Great Britain, France and Russia. Article 1 of the Protocol states that “Greece shall become an independent State and enjoy all political, administrative and commercial rights which are fully independent.
According to the 1832 Protocol, Crete remained outside the Greek territory, where the revolution was underway throughout 1829. After the agreement for the independence of Greece, the fleet of great powers imposed peace on the island. The Greek Revolution was the only one of the liberal revolutions of 1820-1822 that flourished. In the 1820s Greece became the source of inspiration for international liberty.
March 25th is a national holiday, as defined by the royal decree of Otto on March 15, 1838, as the date of the beginning of the Revolution.
Our Greek ancestors fought bravely and died for their and our freedom. After many years of sacrifices Greece was again free.
In order to honor them,students dressed in the national colors white and blue and in traditional costumes and make parades every single year, celebrations and theatrical plays at schools.
Our national anthem and our flag we have today have been developed during the years of the revolution.
Freedom needs boldness and virtue.
