National holidays
1 January - New Year’s Day - Protochroniá
6 January - Epiphany or Theophany - Theophánia
moveable - Easter – 48 days
(14 March 2016) - Clean Monday or Shrove Monday - Kathará Deftéra
25 March - Annunciation Evangelismós tis Theotókou
Independence Day - lkostí-pémpti Martíou
(lit. 25th March)
moveable - Good Friday - Megáli Paraskeví
moveable - Easter Sunday - Kiriakí tou Páscha
moveable - Easter + 1 day
(2 May 2016) - Easter Monday - Deftéra tou Páscha
1 May - Labour Day - Ergatikí Protomagiá
(lit. 1st May of the Workers)
moveable - Easter + 49 days - Pentecost or Whit Sunday - Pentikostí
(lit. 50th day)
moveable - Easter + 50 days
Next: 20 June 2016
Pentecost Monday or Whit Monday - Deftéra Pentikostís
(lit. Pentecost Monday)or Agíou Pnévmatos
(lit. Of the Holy Spirit)
15 August - Assumption or Dormition of the Holy Virgin - Kímisi tis Theotókou
28 October - Ochi Day
‘To Ochi’ or ‘Imera tou Ochi’
(lit. Day of the «No»)
25 December - Christmas - Christoúyenna
26 December - Glorifying Mother of God - Sínaxis Yperagías Theotókou Marías
School Holidays
Christmas holidays: 2 weeks
Easter holidays: 2 weeks
Summer holidays: 9 weeks
Additional school holidays: 17 November Polytechnio Day
30 January Tris Hierarches Day
Leisure
There is a variety of leisure activities that Greek people of all ages enjoy. The warm and pleasant climate allows for social interactions indoors as well as outdoors, in bustling town centres and open air markets. The Greeks’ love of coffee and food, in all its shapes and forms, is evident any given day of the week, especially the weekends, when shops are busy welcoming customers, who then treat themselves to a coffee with friends.
The Greeks are also keen on the arts, especially the cinema and theatre, as well as open-air concerts. Greece is the home to great music halls, such as Megaron Musikis in Athens and in Thessaloniki, where a variety of shows are staged every year. Every summer around Greece town councils organize a variety of festivals mixing traditional culture and contemporary trends. Ancient sites are often used to accommodate such festivals. The Epidavros Ancient theatre, for example, is a host of one of the most well-known theatre festivals in the world, attended by thousands of theatre enthusiasts every year.
Last but not least, Greeks are known sports and nature lovers. Our mountainous terrain and breathtaking landscape makes Greece an ideal destination for hikers from around the world. Crete is the home of the renowned Samaria Gorge, which hosts thousands of visitors every year. Greek beaches are also a key feature of our landscape and a vital part of Greek life. Our climate ensures that the crystal clear beaches can be enjoyed from spring to late autumn, not just for lounging and sunbathing, but also for partaking in more extreme sports such as kind surfing or wind surfing, which are becoming particularly popular lately. Also, younger people are increasingly socially conscious, evident in their enthusiasm for charity events such as charity runs, which take place throughout the year. Cycling, football, basketball, dancing are also very popular sports among the younger generation.