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O x i D a y P a r a d e Thursday, October 28th 2004 |
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This Greek holiday is celebrated every year in Greece on October 28th and mostly remembered for General Ioannis Metaxas' strong reply of 'oxi' (no) to Mussolini's request to allow Italian troops to come into Greece at the beginning of WW II. On that cherished day in Greek history, Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas not only rejected Italy's ultimatum, he chose the road of resistance, and thus saved his reputation as a Dictator. Nevertheless, the Italians did invade Greece, but were subsequently driven back into Albania. Today in Greece, celebrations of Oxi Day culminate in large military parades down the main boulevards of Athens and Thessalonika, but the Ithaki parades of school children is no less important to this community which celebrates this day each year.
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School children from Primary School to High School take part in the Oxi Day Parade as it makes its' way through the streets of Vathy |
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The Greek Flag waves proudly in the hands of young Ithacans |
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The community gathers at the Church for the Service which initiates the Parade. |
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Ithakis Philharmonic Band trumpets the Community into the Gardens where blessings given by Vathys' Priests and a reif is laid. |
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Ithaki officials, including (R)-the Mayor, Mr. Tilemahos Karavias and (L)-Yiannis Adrianatos give their speeches to the Ithacan community who embrace the remembrance of this historic day with warm enthusiasm . |
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Overnight storms and rain cleared to reveal another warm and sunny day for the Oxi Day Parade and Celebrations. A colourful spectacle in Ithakis' Capital of Vathy. |
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