in

25th March Celebrations

The National Holiday of March 25th, is actually a double celebration in Greece.

It commemorates both the beginning of the War of Greek Independence in 1821 and in the Greek Orthodox Church, the Annunciation of the Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her that she would bear the son of God.

The main event of the day will be the school parade with children wearing traditional costumes, in most towns and villages, along with a large military parade in Athens. You will also notice that many homes will have put out a Greek flag, to acknowledge the patriotic importance of the day.

 

The menu for the day, traditionally says battered cod and “scordalia”, which is a delicious garlicky sauce with a base of either bread or potato. It is one of the days amongst the 40-day fast that allows fish, oil and wine to be consumed.

 

The explanation behind the specific choice of fish is very simple and has to do mainly with the inability of the inhabitants of the inlands to have cheap, fresh fish. Despite the fact that cod is not a “Greek” fish, coming normally from the North-East Atlantic, it can be cured, therefore making it cheap and easy to preserve and accessible to all. Cod in this form, made its appearance on the Greek tables at about the 15th century, and ever since constitutes the “national” food of March 25th.

Evangelos (Vangelis) and Evangelia celebrate their name day today, so don’t forget to wish them “Χρόνια Πολλά” too!!