As every year with the exception of the pandemic period, this year too, the municipalities of Attica celebrate the National Anniversary and the Liberation Struggle with flag decorations, parades and events. The cities have already been decorated with flags, the Town Halls remain illuminated and in the evening hours, the mayors have appointed the masters of ceremonies and today, March 25th, from the morning, the official program begins with the joyful ringing of bells in all the churches, as the Annunciation of the Virgin is also celebrated.

After the official doxology in the Holy Temples, followed by crown deposits at the monuments of each municipality, the ceremonial speeches of the mayors and local authorities and the playing of the National Anthem.

The events they culminate with the parades of apprentice youth, scouts, local cultural and sports clubs, which are scheduled at 11 and in some cities at 12 noon.

In some municipalities, such as Nea Philadelphia-Nea Chalkidona, Moschato-Tavros, Kifissia, Agia Varvara, Dafni-Ymitto, Alimos, Paania, Markopoulos Mesogaia, there are also plans events with traditional dances from dance clubs or schools.

However, in the context of the anniversary events, several municipalities of Attica were not content with just the formal, but planned for these days and especially this three-day period, a series of other actions, with theatrical performances, lectures, screenings and exhibitions.

With the support of the municipality of Markopoulos Mesogaia, the 1st Gymnasium of the city and its musical theater group, presented Vassilis Rota’s play “Long live Messolonghi” at the “Artemis” Municipal Cinema.

In the municipality of Nea Ionia the play “The Old Man of Moria” was performed from the Mediterranean Theatre, where Kolokotronis unfolds his life to Tertsetis for his biography, in a text and interpretation by Alberto Eskenazi and directed by Yiannis Kalatzopoulos.

The municipality of Agia Paraskevi dedicated the day to Dionysios Solomos and to poems set to music, with the participation of the choir of the Municipal People’s University and the cooperation of Heptanisian singers. The municipality of Heraklion also focused on Dionysios Solomos with a visit to a performance organized by the Department of Culture for the high schools of the city, so that the students could get to know our national poet better. Specifically, the schools successively visited the theater stage of the Municipal Cultural Polycenter “Electra Apostolou” to watch the lecture-performance with excerpts from the poet’s top works “Free Besiegers” and “The Woman of Zakythos”. In fact, some students prepared and presented their own tribute to the National Poet before each performance.

The municipality of Papagou-Cholargou has under its auspices the anniversary event of the Papagou Spiritual Center “The chronicle of the Greek Revolution”, which will take place next Sunday (31/3) in the “Mikis Theodorakis” amphitheater of the City Hall, with the speaker the lieutenant general e.a. Ioannis Krassa. The Mixed Choir of the municipality with conductor Stavros Beri and pianist Popi Malfa will also participate.

The municipality of Vrilissio held its own event for the anniversary in the “Muses” hall of the Spiritual Center and the municipality of Amarousiou at the Center of Art and Culture with the participation of the Mixed Choir of Agia Filothei Amarousiou.

In the framework of events and activities for the elderly, the Friendship Centers of the municipality of Peristeri, in collaboration with the Community Center-OFILI (Integrated Elderly Care) and the 20th Primary School, co-organized an anniversary event in the auditorium of the Town Hall.

An event-discussion on the occasion of the anniversary of March 25 was organized by the municipality of Kaisarianis in the Hall of Events of the City Hall, where the historian Athina Darra spoke on the topic “Let’s put in our fairy tales a touch of history, the history that when the rebellious people believe in his strength and rise in stature, he becomes a real giant”. An artistic program followed with songs dedicated to the National Anniversary by the choir of the First KAPI, as well as dances by the dance department.

The award-winning documentary “My Grandfather Papaflessas” by Kleonis Flessas, was screened by the Film Club in the municipality of Ilioupoli and was followed by a discussion with the director and with the film historian and film studies professor Ioanna Athanasatou. At the beginning of the month, an exhibition of Historical Weapons & Authentic Costume by the collector Spyros Katsiras was held in Ilioupoli. The collection spans two centuries of historical memory, from 1650 to 1850, and includes a wide range of uniforms and objects, such as cariophilia and other weapons, but also gold-embroidered selachias, which adorned the waists of warriors and supported their armament.

The Cinematographic Club of the Sports Culture Department of the municipality of Dafni-Ymittos screened the film “Exodus 1826” directed and written by Vassilis Tsikaras, while a discussion followed with the critic Konstantinos Blathras.

He invited the residents on a historical walk the municipal authority of Palaio Faliro, in collaboration with the Museum of School Life and Education. The walk was entitled “The Faliro in the liberation struggles”. This is a special activity with a tour of important landmarks of the city, where through the historical approach, citizens are given the opportunity to discover their city, accompanied by historical references about the Old Faliro.

He celebrated the national holiday with music and speech the municipality of Agios Dimitrios, as he organized a tribute to folk songs and melodies that have been inspired by the heroic struggle, while the Choir of the Municipal Conservatory performed, among others, “Thourio” by Rigas Feraios set to music by Christos Leontis.

On the occasion of the anniversary of March 25 the municipality of Alimos presented the book of the Serbian ambassador Dusan Spasojevic entitled “Greece: The struggle for independence, the formation of the state and the rebirth of the nation”. The historian Aris X. Katopodis spoke with the author. In his book, Mr. Spasojevic places a “magnifying glass” over the opposing relations of the major European powers (Russia, Great Britain and France) regarding the policy towards the Ottoman Empire and analyzes in depth the connection, the influences, but and the different paths between the Serbian and Greek movements.

A scientific lecture on 1821, with lesser-known or even unknown aspects of the Greek Revolution, was organized by the municipality of Glyfada, with the speaker Dimitris Stathakopoulos, Ph.D. his band performed songs of the Struggle, known as “Kolokotroneika”.

The municipality of Kropias and the Society of Historical and Social Studies organized a special anniversary event for the Revolution of 1821, with speakers the arch-captain e.a. Leonida Tsiatoula for the heroes Miaoulis and Kanaris and the theologian Konstantinos Adams for the contribution of the Church to the Revolution. In the area of ​​the historic Wall of the Holy Trinity, in Vourkari Megara, the Association of Military Armed Forces under the auspices of the municipality of Megara organized an event for the National Rebirth and the struggle of 1821.

Finally, the municipality of Vari-Voulas-Vouliagmenis invited institutions and associations, instead of laying wreaths, to donate the corresponding amount to the SOS Children’s Village or to the Rehabilitation & Rehabilitation Branch for Disabled Children of Voula (formerly PIKPA).