Athens, Greece » Entertainment » Festivals

January

Also called Protochronia, Agios Vasileios is celebrated on 1st January. People exchange traditional gifts and celebrate this New Year’s Day.

Theofania or Epiphany is an important feast day and a national holiday in Athens. It is marked with water ceremonies taking place throughout Greece on 6th January. On this day the young crowd of the city dives into the water to recover a cross thrown inside by the priest.

February

Celebrated on 2nd February, Ypapanti is an orthodox feast day celebrated all through Greece.

March

Celebrated on the first Sunday before Lent, Apokries is marked by carnivals taking place for three weeks before the pre-Lenten festivities. People enjoy Apokries by costume balls, parades, and other celebrations.

Independence Day and Evangelismos

Celebrated on 25th March, Independence Day and Evangelismos, is a National holiday in Athens and Greece. The day is marked with dances and parades commemorating the revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.

Kathari Deftera is marked by flying kites all over the country

April

Megali Evdomada is a holy week celebrated in late April or early May. The week includes the celebration of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Also known as St George's day, Agios Georgios is celebrated in the honor of the patron saint of shepherds. Celebrated on 23rd April, the day is one of the most important feast days in Athens.

Protomagia is also famous as May Day or Labor Day in Athens. Celebrated on 1st May, the day is marked as a family day in the city.

Marked by fire walking, Agios Konstantinos kai Agia Eleni is enjoyed by the local residents of Athens on 21st May. The day is celebrated in the honor of Helen, the first Orthodox Byzantine ruler.

Celebrated 40 days after Easter, Analipsi is also an important feast day of Athens.

June

Pentkosti or Whit Sunday or Pentecost is also one of the important feast days in Athens. The day is celebrated seven weeks after Orthodox Sunday.

A national holiday in Athens, Agiou Pnevmatos is a feast of the Whit Monday or the Holy Spirit.

One of the famous cultural festivals in Athens, Athens Festival is celebrated from mid-June to mid-September. The festival is marked with opera, classical music, ballet, jazz, ancient theatre, and much more. All the events are generally performed on the slopes of the Acropolis.

Celebrated on 24th June, Agios Joannis, is also famous as St. John's Day. The day is celebrated in memory of the birth of the Baptist, St. John. One day before the Agios Ioannis, there are large bonfires lit all over Athens.

July

Celebrated on 17th July, Agia Marina is a feast time enjoyed by all the local residents of the city. The feast is marked by paying a tribute to the most important protector of crops.

Marked by music, arts, and other cultural activities, Ionnina Cultural Summer is one of the popular festivals among tourists. The cultural events are enjoyed in between July and August by all the local residents and foreigners in Athens.

Profitis ilias or the Prophet Elijah is celebrated from 18the July to 20th July at almost all the shrines in Greece.

August

Celebrated on 6th August, Metamorfosi is one of the important days for the Orthodox Church.

Enjoyed as a feast day, Koimisis tis Theotokou is marked as a national holiday. The day is also known as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and is celebrated on 15th August.

Commemorating the guillotine of the Baptist, St. John Apotomi Kefalis Ioannou Prodromou is celebrated on 29th August all over Athens and Greece.

September

An important feast day according to the Orthodox religious calendar, Gennisis tis Theotokou is enjoyed on 8th September by all the local residents of Athens.

An important summer festival in Athens, Ypsosis you Timiou Stavrou is celebrated on 14th September. The day is enjoyed in the remembrance of the Exaltation of the True Cross.

October

Characterizing the end of the grazing season, Agios Dimitrios is celebrated on 26th October. On this day all the sheep are brought down the hills.

Celebrated on 28th October, Ochi day is a national holiday in Athens marked with parades and dancing. The day commemorates the Greek answer of ‘no’ to the ultimatum from Mussolini calling for surrender in 1940.

November

Celebrated on 8th November, the day is marked by a lot of ceremonies at the rural churches and monasteries named after Arch angles Michael and Gabriel.

One of the most important feast days in Athens, Eisodia tis Theotokou, is enjoyed on 21st November. The day is marked by the presentation of the Virgin in the temple.

December

Celebrated on 6th December, Agios Nikolaos is enjoyed by the local residents at the seaside churches of the city.

A national holiday in Athens, Christougenna is truly enjoyed on 25th December in Athens. It is also one of the important feast days in Athens.

Marked by a religious meeting celebrating the Virgin’s entourage, Synaxis tis Theotokou is celebrated on 26th December. The day is also observed as a national holiday in the city.

National Holidays in Athens