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GREEK HISTORY:
Greek Independence Day (March 25)
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution, was a successful war of independence waged by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire on March 25, 1821, and lasted until September 12, 1829. Even though the First Hellenic Republic (then known as the “Provisional Administration of Greece”) was established in 1822, war still continued on to ensure full Greek independence and some territory expansion. The revolution was planned by the Filiki Eteria, which was a secret group of Greeks from Constantinople (Now Istanbul). The revolution started off in the Peloponnese region, and moved to Crete, and central Greece. The small army of Greeks destroyed the Ottomans in almost every battle, the Ottomans were in the tens of thousands, while the Greeks only had hundreds. Greeks beat off the Ottomans thus claiming Independence and putting an end to 400+ years of slavery.
Oxi Day (October 28)
As part of its commemoration, Oxi Day (“No”) celebrates Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas’ rejection of Benito Mussolini’s ultimatum made on 28 October 1940, as well as the subsequent Hellenic counterattack against Italian forces during WW2. As a result of Greece rejecting the ultimatum, the Greco-Italian war ensued, with Greece winning and Germany intervening and invading Greece later. Italian Army troops encountered an entrenched and determined enemy in Albania during the invasion, resulting in a disaster. On the Albanian-Greek border, the Italians had to overcome mountainous terrain and unexpectedly tenacious Greek resistance. It wasn’t until mid-November that the Greeks stopped the Italian invasion just inside their borders. After completing their mobilization, the Greeks counter-attacked with the bulk of their army and pushed the Italians back a few dozen kilometers into Albania. The defeat of the Italian invasion was known to be the “first Axis setback of the entire war”.
Regime of the Colonels/Revolution of April 21 (April 21)
The Greek Junta was a right-wing ultra-conservative military dictatorship that took place between April 21, 1967 – July 23, 1974. The Junta happened because of the prevalence of communism in Greece, as well as corruption and fraud. On 21 April 1967, just weeks before the scheduled elections, a group of right-wing army officers led by Brigadier Stylianos Pattakos and Colonels George Papadopoulos and Nikolaos Makarezos seized power. In the early morning hours, all of Greece was in the hands of the colonels. The Junta leader was George Papadopoulos who ruled as dictator in Greece. The Junta was known for its right-wing culture, promotion of Greek culture and church tradition, anti-communist views, and ultra-traditionalism. The Junta ruled under two mottos, “Greece of Greek Christians!” and “We decide and we order”. Under the Junta, Greece saw 7 years of development. The income per capita was increased, crime and unemployment were heavily decreased, the army was modernized and was for the first time in a long time better than the Turkish army, and the economy was booming. Greece, as the Junta stated, was “open for business” for economic growth and development. The first few months of the Junta, Greece was under martial law, but once the Junta truly legitimized their power, martial law was slowly removed. Papadopoulos was one of the last great Greek leaders who helped preserve Greek culture and keep tradition in place. Xenophobia was very popular in the junta. This ideology presented Greece as the creators of all civilizations and the rest of the world is jealous of Greece. Xenophobia went as far as Colonel Ioannis Ladas, who stated to the Greek people that “Foreigners confess and acknowledge Greek superiority. Human civilization was wholly fashioned by our race. Even the enemies of Greece recognize that civilization is an exclusively Greek creation.”.
Fall of Constantinople (May 29)
This is a remembrance day for Greeks, the day we lost our beloved Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453. The walls of Constantinople fell before the will of the Greeks. 10,000 Greeks fought to defend their city against the 100,000+ Ottoman Turk invaders, and resulted in the fall of the city and a notable beginning of Greek slavery. The battle lasted 1 month and despite the Turkish victory, some historians debate that if the walls had not fallen, the Greeks could have won.
Greek-Cypriot Day (April 1)
This day celebrates the beginning of the struggle for an end to British rule in Cyprus and unity with Greece. Although the struggle did not grant the island unity with Greece, it did end British rule in Cyprus. At 9 a.m., the exact time the EOKA struggle began in 1955, Georgios Grivas-Digenis, leader of the group, fought for a united Greece and ended British rule on the island.
Christmas & Easter (Religious holidays)
New Years Day (January 1)
Pavlos Melas remembrance (October 13)
Pavlos Melas is a hero to the Greek people during the Macedonian Struggle. He was the 25th member of the Nationalistic group “Ethniki Etaireia”, and veteran of the Greco-Turkish war of 1897 and later the Macedonian Struggle (when he died). Pavlos tried to raise money money for the Greek efforts in Macedonia and later in 1904, he took the liberty of going up in the region to rise up a military unit to fight the Bulgarians/Ottomans and defend Greece. On October 13th 1904, he died in battle against Ottoman forces, and every 13th of October we remember the bravery of this Greek and he remains as a symbol for Greek patriots everywhere.
CANADA HISTORY:
Canada Day (July 1)
Celebrate Canadian Confederation that took place on July 1st, 1867. when three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united as one within the British Empire to create Canada! On July 1st, we celebrate Canada’s Birthday!
Remembrance Day (Nov 11)
A day to remember those who fought and died in the first world war. On November 11th, we honour our armed forces and thank a veteran. We wear a poppy every November 11th, to remember the more than 60,000 Canadians who died for freedom.