Athens
28
10
2023
HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE

‘Ochi Day’ celebrated today

Observed today is "Ochi" (def. "No") Day - one of the holidays which best illustrates the historic pride of Greek citizens.
Observed today is "Ochi" (def. "No") Day - one of the holidays which best illustrates the historic pride of Greek citizens.

The response was a heroic "No" ("Ochi") and the consequence was the involvement of the country in the 2nd World War.

The Hellenic troops embarrassed Mussolini at the Greek-Albanian front and put an end to the Greek-Italian War that lasted 6 months, with a subsequent invasion from the German troops. The 28th of October is an anniversary that pays tribute to those who fought and sacrificed their lives for freedom.


Did Metaxas really say Ochi?

The story goes that Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas said “OXI”, hence Oxi day. But is this really what happened? Well, not exactly. In fact, Emanuele Grazzi and Metaxas had a longer dialogue in French, which is documented in Grazzi’s memoirs.

The eventual response of Metaxas was “Alors, c’est la guerre” (Well, then it’s war).

The day is an official national holiday in Greece, celebrated with school and military parades throughout the country and with the Greek flag flying high in private and public buildings. Normally, all of the important cities in Greece have military parades. Coastal towns also have naval parades amongst with other celebrations. It is a beautiful array of colors and activities since everyone celebrates this amazing day with Hellenic insignias flown across the country of with great pride.

Moreover, it should be noted that on October 28th, admission to the archaeological sites and public museums around Greece is always free. This includes sites like the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Ancient Delphi, Ancient Mycenae, and Ancient Epidaurus.