Proud to be Greek - Independence Day

XRONIA POLLA !!! To all our Greek friends and all who attended the Independence Day celebrations, here in Hersonissos today. Similar parades are staged throughout the country in large cities ad well as small villages, as young as well as old come together proudly in support of their past.
  They were lucky weather wise, it was sunny at the start, the last gro9up had finished and it poured down - all over the country they celebrated, many wearing their best traditional costumes.

You know Christmas is coming when.....

..................CHRISTMAS FAIRS start to be advertised. Our first of the year was today in Hersonissos, Crete. It's like most others an annual event, recently moved indoors, good idea, to a local gymnasium. Plenty of space and it stays warm.
  Our local KAPI took part of course. The ladies choir gave a small concert, but the main aim of the day for the members of this senior citizens organisation is to raise m oney to keep the situation ticking along.
   The ladies produce a varied and wonderful range of typical Greek home-made pies, cakes and sweets which are soon snapped up. Other local groups offer different items so that there seems little of no rerpeat of items for sale.

An arresting sight

NEVER seen so many motorists pleased to slow down and smile at a policeman as today!  Well to be fair it was a pretty girl with very long legs, and in truth she was not a policeman, but handing out flyers for an American Stunt show, dressed as a polieman. Her colleague was stopping the traffic the other direction, but not as a policeman, in a scimnpy yellow outfit instread.   This went on for 30 - 40 minutes until a real policeman turned up to see why traffic thgrough Hersonissos main street was so slow. He spoke to the girls and they - as they say - accompanied him to the station. He obviously wanted to check their creditials as well as take down their particulars!!

When Oxi really did mean "NO"

OXI Day (pronounced oshy and sometimes spelt as 'Okhi Day' or 'Ochi Day') is celebrated every year in Crete and the rest of Greece on October 28th. It is a public holiday and it is commemorated with military, student and union marches and parades. The Greek flag flies freely on almost every building.
   Oxi day commemorates the very firm "No! (Oxi!) of the Greek government to the capitulation ultimatum of Mussolini in World War II.

  In October 1940, Europe was being oppressed by Nazi Germany. Poland, the Low Countries and France had already fallen and Britain was fighting the Axis powers of Germany and Italy alone.

At that time the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, had massed an Italian army in occupied Albania directed at Greece. In the early hours of October 28, 1940 Mussolini issued an ultimatum to the Greek leader Ioannis Metaxas to surrender, in effect, by allowing Italian troops to occupy Greece.

  Greece's brave and adamant reply of Oxi! (No!), to Mussolini's capitulation ultimatum echoed throughout the world and gave much needed support to Britain and the forces of freedom. Metaxas' reply marked the beginning of participation of Greece in World War II

 We always go, if only to meet friends in the main town, and today was no exception. The children who take part in the parade maerch with passion, especially the very young, after a church service first.

Listen, enjoy - let's eat!

THERE is always something to enjoy here on the island, Tonight it was another music night, this time with our senior citizens organisation KAPI. Held at their headquarters in Hersonissos, the choir came up with some new material under the direction of their new choir master.
  They had hardly finished when there was a big rush (as usual for the food) Members had been asked to bring dishes along to add that already, and there was a great deal.
It ranged from moussaka to souvlaki, and a whole range of other special dishes, Despite some filling plates to overflowing there was enough to feed all, there was also a great range of drinks, and then it was down to the dancing until late at night.

When No really means NO!!

THE traditional Oxi Day (No Day) is celebrated throughout Greece in one way or another,. Because of the situation in the country at present that has brought about many changes, including demonstrations against the country, mainly by students. 

  The biggest parade here in Crete is usually at Heraklion, but we decided to give that a miss this uyear and went to enjoy the parade here in Hersonissos. It was centred around the big church, attended by council and church dignitaries, and then the parade started. Although there was no marching band, the parade assembled to packed local streets and they came in their hundreds to march through to loud music. It was great to see so many young children respecting their history, with many of them  in national costume.