Celebration of the Greek Revolution
The largest event is the military parade in Athens on 25 March, while on the previous day, celebrations take place throughout the schools of the country.
More broadly, the holiday acknowledges the successful Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) was fought to liberate and decolonize Greece from four centuries of Ottoman occupation.
Further negotiations in 1832 led to the London Conference of 1832 and the Treaty of Constantinople (1832); these defined the final borders of the new state and recognized the king.
[7] In 1822, the provisional government headed in Corinth decided to celebrate the anniversary of the Revolution the same day as Easter (2 April, Julian Calendar).
The celebrations took place in Corinth with a military procession, festive church services and cannon fire, as described by the German volunteer Striebeck, who was present.
[11] It is therefore believed that by changing the date "the national holiday was losing its political and revolutionary character and taking on a religious nature" with whatever that entailed concerning the assertions of democracy and a constitution.
Koulouri, who researched national holiday-type celebrations from 1834 and after, does not include in them 1 January, but instead six dates related to the royal family.
[13] The leader of the Filiki Eteria who organised the revolution, Alexander Ypsilantis, kickstarted the operations in Iasi on 24 February 1821.
The complete failure of the movement in a non-Greek area, maybe also the disappointment of the Greeks about the delusion of Russian support propagated by the Filiki Eteria, were the main contributors to the distinction between the events in the Danubian Principalities and those in Greece.
[21] In 1836, 25 March was honoured together with Kalavryta and Germanos with a bronze medal which was minted for the occasion of King Otto's marriage to Amalia of Oldenburg.
On it is the legendary scene of Germanos raising the flag and the cross and two armed fighters in an oath or saluting stance.
[22][23] The celebration "from then on forever" of the Revolution on 15 March was established in 1838 with Royal Decree 980 / 15(27)-3-1838[24][25] of the Otto government and specifically that of Georgios Glarakis, Secretary of State for Ecclesiastical, Public Education and Internal Matters.
[27] The first celebration took place in Athens which was attended by King Otto and Queen Amalia, political and military authorities and a mass of people.
[13] The holiday continued to be a matter of political and localist conflict; Prime Minister Kolettis' decision in 1846 and 1847 to hold an official ceremony on the grave of the Rumelian chieftain Georgios Karaiskakis in Phaleron caused major reactions, as it was considered as leading to identification of the Revolution with one individual.
In 1875 for the first time the army paraded in front of the palace, a practice starting from the middle of the century in public holidays in France and the German states.
In 1932 the schools of Athens paraded in front of officials in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier together with the scouts, the "city guard" and the "nationalist organisations".
The committee consists of people such as British historian Mark Mazower and the Greek academic Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler.
