Greece is celebrating its Independence Day and the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 on Tuesday, March 25, with splendor, military parades, and special church services.
In Athens, the military parade began at 11:15 at Syntagma Square, in the presence of state, political, judicial, religious and military leaders.
Earlier, at 06:20, a celebratory 21-gun salute was fired from the cannon at Lycabettus Hill to commemorate the historical event, while Armed Forces and Security Forces music sections sounded Reveille at central streets of Athens. At 08:00, the Greek flag was officially raised at the Acropolis,
A special celebratory service was held at the Athens Cathedral on Mitropoleos Street at 10:00, led by Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece, while a 21-gun salute was fired by the Lycabettus cannon at 10:01.
After the service, Hellenic Republic President Constantine Tassoulas laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 11:05, before the parade began.
The military parade included Leopard 2 tanks, multiple missile launchers MLRS, self-propelled missile launchers M-109 and PzH2000, fighter jets of the types F-16, Rafale, Mirage-2000 and F-4E Phantom, and helicopters of the type Chinook, Apache, NH-90, Aegean Hawk, and Super Puma.
Two historic aircraft also took part, the famed T-6 Harvard, which served to train several generations of Greek pilots from World War II to the 1960s, and the legendary Spitfire.
The events in Athens will wrap up with the official lowering of the Greek flag on the Acropolis at 18:41, while the Lycabettus cannon will fire a 21-gun salute.
Several Greek cities held military parades and military camps, stores, and the Armed Forces’ ships were decorated by flags and lit up.
Greek schools celebrated the day with student parades at Syntagma Square and in several other cities.
Photos: EUROKINISSI
