In our continued celebration of the diversity of our student body, on 25th March we commemorate Greek Independence Day, the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821 and also coincides with the Greek Orthodox Church’s celebration of when Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would bear the son of God.
Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453 and seeking independence the Greek revolt began on March 25th 1821. By 1827, Athens and most of the Greek isles had been recaptured by Turks.
The Greek struggle had elicited sympathy across Europe, and Great Britain, France and Russia intervened.
The revolution ended in 1829 when the Treaty of Edirne established Greece as an independent state.
Every year, towns and villages hold a school flag parade, during which, school children march in traditional Greek costumes and carry Greek flags.
Did you know?
The Greek flag is named “blue and white”, blue for the sky and sea, and white for the clouds and waves. The 9 equal horizontal stripes are to symbolise the 9 syllables in the Greek phrase for “Freedom or Death”, the key phrase said at the start of the revolution. Some believe the stripes represent the 9 Greek muses.
Fun Facts
- Greece has up to 6000 islands and islets.
- 80% of Greece is made up of mountains.
- More tourists visit Greece annually, then the entire population.
- The capital Athens, is named after Athena, the goddess of Wisdom and Warfare.
- Greece has more archeological museums than anywhere else in the world.
- The official name of Greece is actually Hellenic Republic.
- There are 4,000 traditional Greek dances.
- Greece is home to 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including:
The Acropolis of Athens
The Temple of Apollo