Visit Crete for Greece Independence Day

Visit Crete on March 25, 2012 and experience the very essence of Greek culture with Greece Independence Day.

Want to experience some true Greek traditions and culture in the most stunning of surroundings? Then why not head to the island of Crete on March 25 next year to witness Greece’s Independence Day.

Each year this date is a national holiday in Greece as the nation celebrates its revolution against the Turks. Across mainland Greece and its islands, a school flag parade is put on in every town and village, regardless of its size and population, whilst in Athens, an enormous military parade cavalcades the city’s streets.

March 25 has been a significant date in Greece since 1821when the Bishop of Patras, Germanos, raised the Greek flag to mark the beginning of the war of independence in the Aghia Lavra monastery in Peloponnese.

The war was fought for nine years until 1829 when Greece finally became liberated and was declared as an autonomous country. This highly important date coincides with the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and the day is also known as the Day of Evangelos.

Crete is home to an abundance of festivals and celebrations and there is a barely a month that goes by with some kind of carnival being held. Independence Day, as you can imagine, is held with particular fervour and passion and is therefore one of the best festivals to be present in Crete for.

As well as experiencing traditional dancing, singing, costumes, cuisine and age-old activities, being held in late-March, visitors to the Independence Day celebrations on Crete also have the pleasure of witnessing a particularly picturesque season on the island, when the weather is warm, but not too warm, and the meadows, mountains, hillsides and valleys are becoming greener and are scattered by colour and fragrance from the flowers emerging from their winter’s sleep.

In short, if you are planning a late-winter getaway next year, it may prove prudent to take it on the beautiful island of Crete.