Greece celebrated its Independence Day with a military parade held in Athens and other cities on Saturday, AMNA has reported.
The day began with a symbolic gesture as a gun on Lycabettus Hill in Athens fired 21 rounds, signifying the date of the Greek uprising against the Ottoman Turks in 1821.
The firing of the guns was followed by a military band playing hymns related to the religious celebration of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, which coincides with the anniversary.
The Greek flag was raised officially at 8am on the Acropolis and a celebratory liturgy was held at the Athens Cathedral led by Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou attended the liturgy and laid a wreath before the Monument of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma Square.
At 11am, a military and security forces parade began, passing by the stands of officials before the Monument including Ms Sakellaropoulou and Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while flyovers by jets also took place.
After the parade, Mitsotakis said: “This year’s celebration of Greek Independence and the Virgin’s Annunciation is being celebrated under the shadow of a great tragedy.”
Referring to the deadly train collision at Tempi on February 28, he said it was necessary to “become inspired by the triumphs of our country and learn from tragedies in this long trajectory of constant progress by the Greek state, the Greek nation, and the Greek people.”
Among related celebrations, the frigate ‘Themistoklis’ and the high-speed gunboat ‘Karathanassis’ were also docked at Piraeus port for public tours through Sunday.
Several cities in Attica and elsewhere also held military parades and decorated units, military gear stores, and Hellenic Navy ships with flags. They also decorated the streets with flags, and laid wreaths at local monuments, while churches celebrated the Annunciation with ringing of their bells and liturgies.
This was the first year that cities could hold full events following the two-year restrictions for the coronavirus pandemic. Various events included parades of students, boy and girl scouts, and traditional dances as well as photography exhibitions, lectures and music performances.
In Thessaloniki, a liturgy was held at the Theou Sofias (God’s Wisdom) Church. Officials then laid wreaths at the Third Army Corps’ Heroes’ Monument, and a parade of students, civil, and military units marched from Megalou Alexandrou avenue to the White Tower.
Source: AMNA.
