Recently I came across a post claiming that the most common holiday on Earth is a holiday individually celebrated by many countries: Independence Day. The 4th of July in America is famous for barbeques and fireworks, but I became very curious about the traditions in other countries. After some research, I found a list of independence holidays celebrated by over 200 countries and realized that Greece’s is coming up on March 25. So how do they celebrate their freedom from the Ottoman Empire in Greece?
On the 25th of March, villages throughout Greece hold flag parades where schoolchildren hike through the streets, wearing traditional Greek outfits and carrying Greek flags. In larger cities, such as Athens, they hold armed forces parades.
Traditional dishes are also eaten to commemorate this day. Patato fassolakia is stewed green beans with tomatoes and potatoes. The ingredients are supposed to symbolize the courage and hard work required to gain independence. Bakaliaros Skordalia, however, is the most famous of their freedom day foods. This dish is composed of batter-fried fish and a dip made of olive oil, mashed potatoes, and garlic.
When celebrating this holiday, you can often hear their cry: “ζήτω η Ελλάδα” (Long live Greece)! So even if it’s all Greek to you, don’t forget about hard-won Greek independence this March 25th.