Greek military to hold commemorative events and parade for Independence Day

The Greek military will hold a parade and a series of commemorative events in Athens to mark the 204th anniversary of the start of the War of Independence.

According to the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the celebrations in Athens began at 6:20 a.m. with the firing of 21 ceremonial gun salutes from the artillery battery on Lycabettus Hill. Simultaneously, military bands performed the traditional morning hymn along the central streets of the city.

At 8:00 a.m., the official flag-raising ceremony took place at the Acropolis, marking the symbolic start of the day’s events.

Later, at 10:00 a.m., a religious service will be held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, officiated by Archbishop Ieronymos II.

The military parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tassoulas.

The day’s commemorations will conclude with the official flag-lowering ceremony at the Acropolis at 6:41 p.m., once again accompanied by 21 ceremonial gun salutes from the Lycabettus Hill battery.

Similar events and parades will take place throughout the rest of the country, as Greece collectively honors its struggle for independence.

Source: ekathimerini.com