On Sunday, November 3, Greeks from Canberra and its surrounds came together for a belated celebration of OXI Day.
The commemorative event commenced with a Divine Liturgy at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Kingston, presided over by Father Petros and Father Platonas. The church was filled with proud parents and many special guests.
The Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, gave a speech after the liturgy on the significance of OXI Day.
“Today, we honour those who fought, defending fundamental and timeless values of Hellenism, such as democracy, freedom, independence and justice,” Mr Venizelos said.
“We remember our many heroes and never forget their sacrifice.”
Students of the Greek School of Canberra later stood at the front of the church and recited poems and performed the song Pirame T’ Argyrokastro by Marinella, to mark the significant day in Greek history.
Following the liturgy, everyone was then invited to attend the Hellenic War Memorial where the annual wreath laying ceremony and a minute’s silence took place. There were also a number of speeches.
Many special guests were in attendance including Ambassador Venizelos; the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia, Antonis Sammoutis; Captain Gary Zervos RAN, on behalf of the Australian Defence Force; Captain Dimitrios Limberidis, on behalf of the Hellenic Navy; the Secretary of the Hellenic Sub-Branch RSL Melbourne, Major Terry Kanellos (RETD) OAM; the President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra (GOCCC), Pana Tsironis; the President of the Hellenic Club of Canberra, Steve Kartsonas; John Loukadellis and many more.
Representatives from the Hellenic RSL Sub-Branch, AHEPA, the Hellenic Youth Club, and associations such as the Cypriots, Karpathians, Lemnians, Pontians, and Cretans were also in attendance.
Major Kanellos expressed how it felt to celebrate alongside so many young people in the Canberra Greek community.
“It’s really good to see that the young people here are still maintaining those links with their mother country and are interested in learning about the history with the songs that they sing and the poems that they recite,” Mr Kanellos said.
“Hopefully all these things mean something to them, so that when they grow up, they pass them on to their kids as well.”
President of the GOCCC, Mr Tsironis also conveyed his pride and appreciation for the local Greek community.
“I feel honoured and blessed to be a part of the community and to put on such an event for everyone to enjoy and be a part of,” Mr Tsironis told The Greek Herald.
“The 28th of October is all about Hellenism. It’s about our freedom, it’s about our courage, it’s about our endurance, and it’s about us doing the right thing.
“We are a small but tight knit community, and it’s important for us to remember our past and what assisted in getting us here today.”
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Evelyn Karatzas.
