what is an important holiday in greece

An especially important holiday in Greece is Orthodox Easter (Pascha) , widely considered the most significant celebration of the year.

What makes Easter so important?

• It is regarded as the most important religious holiday for Greek Orthodox Christians, even more central than Christmas.

• Around 90% of the population is traditionally affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Church, so Easter customs shape national life, family routines, and even the yearly travel calendar.

How Greeks celebrate Easter

• The week before Easter, called Megali Evdomada (Holy/Big Week) , is filled with church services, processions, and preparations for the feast.

• On Holy Saturday night , people attend a late church service, receive the “Holy Light,” and at midnight greet each other with “Christos Anesti” (Christ is Risen), followed by fireworks and a big meal.

• Easter Sunday usually means a large family gathering, often with lamb or goat roasted on a spit, music, and the traditional red-dyed eggs used in a cracking game.

Other very important Greek holidays (quick list)

If you want a broader view, these days also rank as very important in Greece:

• March 25 – Greek Independence Day (also a major religious feast: Annunciation of the Virgin Mary).

• August 15 – Dormition of the Virgin Mary , sometimes called “summer Easter,” drawing huge crowds to islands and pilgrimage sites.

• October 28 – Ohi (Ochi) Day , a national day marking Greece’s “No” to the 1940 Italian ultimatum in World War II.

These holidays, together with Easter, form the core of Greece’s most important national and religious celebrations.