A little after 3:00 a.m. on October 28, 1940, the Italian government delivered an ultimatum to Greece through its ambassador in Athens, Emanuele Grazzi, who personally handed it to Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas at his residence in Kifisia. The document demanded free passage for Italian troops across the Greek–Albanian border, with the intention of occupying strategic locations within the Kingdom of Greece—such as ports and airfields—for refueling and logistical purposes, as part of Italy’s planned military advance into Africa.
After reading the text, Metaxas responded to the ambassador in French—the official diplomatic language of the time—with the now-historic words: “Alors, c’est la guerre” (“Then, this means war”), thereby expressing his firm refusal of Italy’s demands.
At 5:30 a.m., the Greco-Italian War began with the surprise invasion of Italian forces into Epirus (the ultimatum had specified that the attack would begin at 6:00 a.m.). Greece, defending its sovereignty, entered the war.
What followed became known as the “Epic of ’40”—the heroic campaign and the remarkable victories of the Greek army against the Italians—which has since been commemorated annually on October 28, the day of the ultimatum’s delivery and Greece’s defiant “No.”
Each year, the official national celebration takes place in Thessaloniki, attended by the President of the Republic and other dignitaries, featuring a grand military parade. In Athens and cities across Greece, student parades are held, and public and private buildings proudly display the Greek flag.
The “Ohi Day” (“No Day”) anniversary was first celebrated during the years of the German Occupation. The first commemoration was held on October 28, 1941, at the University of Athens, both inside the main building and in its courtyard.
The second anniversary (October 28, 1942) was marked at Syntagma Square, organized by the resistance groups EPON and PEAN. The day was officially celebrated for the first time on October 28, 1944, with a parade before Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou.
In 1952, the Church of Greece decided to transfer the Feast of the Holy Protection of the Theotokos from October 1 to October 28, recognizing the Virgin Mary’s protection and aid to the Greek army during the Albanian campaign.
