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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 1 January, Theophany 6 January, Clean Monday (moveable), Greek Independence Day and Annunciation 25 March, Orthodox Good Friday (movable), Orthodox Easter Monday (movable), 1 May, Orthodox Pentecost Monday (movable), Dormition 15 August, Oxi Day 28 October, Nativity 25 December, and Synaxis of the Theotokos 26 December.[1] There are, however, more public holidays celebrated in Greece than are announced by theMinistry of Labour each year as mandatory. The list of thesenon-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 ageneral 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 apatron Saint also called 'Name Day' or aLiberation Day, and at this day it is customary for schools to have a day off.
| 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 ofSt. Basil the Great and of theCircumcision 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 ofGreek 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 theItalian 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 theTheotokos, but in general and in effect the day is considered a holiday because it's the day after Christmas just likeBoxing Day in someCommonwealth countries. | |
| 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 1973students protests against thejunta of the colonels (1967–1974). |
