Most of the other Greek festivals are celebrations of one or other of a multitude of saints ; the most important are detailed below. A village or church bearing the saint's name is a fair guarantee of some sort of observance - sometimes right across the town or island, otherwise quiet, local and consisting of little more than a special liturgy and banners adorning the chapel in question. Saints' days are also celebrated as name days ; if you learn that it's an acquaintance's name day, you wish them " Khrónia Poll?" ("Many years", as in "Many happy returns"). Also listed are a few more secular holidays, most enjoyable of which are the pre-Lenten carnivals.

In addition to the specific dates mentioned, there are literally scores of local festivals , or paniyíria , celebrating the patron saint of the main village church. With hundreds of possible name-saints' days (calendars list two or three, often obscure, for each day) you're unlikely to travel around Greece for long without stumbling on something.

It is important to remember the concept of the paramon?, or eve of the festival . Most of the events listed below are celebrated on the night before, so if you show up on the morning of the date given you will very probably have missed any music, dancing or drinking.

January 1
New Year's Day ( Protokhroni?) in Greece is the feast day of Áyios Vassílios (Saint Basil), and is celebrated with church services and the baking of a special loaf, the vassilópitta , in which a coin is baked which brings its finder good luck throughout the year. The traditional New Year greeting is " Kal?Khroni?".
January 6
Epiphany ( Ayía Theofánia , or Fóta for short), when the kalikántzari (hobgoblins) who run riot on earth during the twelve days of Christmas are rebanished to the netherworld by various rites of the Church. The most important of these is the blessing of baptismal fonts and all outdoor bodies of water. At lakeside, seaside or riverside locations, the priest traditionally casts a crucifix into the deep, with local youths competing for the privilege of recovering it.
January 8
The Yinekokratía of certain villages in Thrace is a festival where Saint Domenica (Dhomníka in Greek), patroness of midwives, is celebrated by men and women reversing roles for the day: the women hold forth in the kafenía while the men do the domestic chores.
March 25
Independence Day and the feast of the Annunciation ( Evangelismós in Greek) is both a religious and a national holiday, with, on the one hand, military parades and dancing to celebrate the beginning of the revolt against Turkish rule in 1821, and on the other church services to honour the news given to Mary that she was to become the Mother of Christ. There are major festivities on Tínos, Ídhra (Hydra) and any locality with a monastery or church named Evangelístria or Evangelismós.
April 23
The feast of Áyios Yeóryios (Saint George), the patron of shepherds, is a big rural celebration, with much feasting and dancing at associated shrines and towns. Good venues include Aráhova, near Delphi, and the island of Skyros, of which George is patron saint. If April 23 falls before Easter, ie during Lent, the festivities are postponed until the Monday after Easter.
May 1
May Day ( Protomayi?) is the great urban holiday when townspeople traditionally make for the countryside to picnic, returning with bunches of wild flowers. Wreaths are hung on their doorways or balconies until they are burnt in bonfires on Saint John's eve (June 23). There are also large demonstrations by the Left, claiming the Ergatik?Protomayi?(Working-Class First of May) as their own.
May 21
The feast of Áyios Konstandínos (Saint Constantine) and his mother, Ayía Eléni (Saint Helen), the first pro-Orthodox Byzantine rulers. There are firewalking ceremonies in certain Macedonian villages; elsewhere celebrated rather more conventionally as the name day for two of the more popular Christian names in Greece.
May/June
The Monday of Áyio Pnévma (the Holy Spirit, Whit Monday in UK) marks the descent of same to the assembled disciples, fifty days after Easter. Usually a modest liturgy is celebrated at rural chapels of the Holy Spirit, gaily decked out with pennants.
June 29-30
The joint feast of Áyios Pétros and Áyios Pávlos (Saints Peter and Paul), two of the more widely celebrated name days, is on the 29th. Celebrations often run together with that for the Gathering of (all) the Holy Apostles (Áyii Apóstoli), on the 30th.
July 17
The feast of Ayía Marína : a big event in rural areas, as she's an important protector of crops. The eponymous port town on Léros will be en fête, as will Ayía Marína village on Kássos, and countless small mainland villages. Between mid July and mid-September there are religious festivals every few days, especially in the rural areas, and what with these, the summer heat and a mass exodus from the big cities, ordinary business slows or even halts.
July 20
The feast of Profítis Ilías (the Prophet Elijah) is widely celebrated at the countless hill- or mountaintop shrines of Profítis Ilías. The most famous is on Mount Taïyettos, near Spárti, with an overnight vigil.
July 26
Ayía Paraskev?is celebrated in parishes or villages bearing that name, especially in Epirus.
August 6
Metamórfosis to?Sotíros (Transfiguration of the Saviour) provides another excuse for celebrations, particularly at Khristós Ráhon village on Ikaría, and at Plátanos on Léros. On Hálki the date is marked by messy food fights with flour, eggs and squid ink (!), so beware.
August 15
Apokímisis tís Panayías (Assumption or Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary). This is the day when people traditionally return to their home village, and in most places there will be no accommodation available on any terms. Even some Greeks will resort to sleeping in the streets. There is a great pilgrimage to Tínos, and major festivities at Páros, at Ayiássos on Lésvos, on Lips?and at Ólymbos on Kárpathos.
August 29
Apokefálisis to?Prodhrómou (Beheading of John the Baptist). Popular pilgrimages and celebrations at Vrykoúnda on Kárpathos.
September 8
Yénnisis tís Panayías (Birth of the Virgin Mary) sees special services in churches dedicated to the event, and a double cause for rejoicing on Spétses where they also celebrate the anniversary of the battle of the straits of Spétses, which took place on September 8, 1822. A re-enactment of the battle takes place in the harbour, followed by fireworks and feasting well into the night. Elsewhere, a lively festival at Vourliótes, Sámos, and a pilgrimage of childless women to the monastery at Tsambíka, Rhodes.
September 14
A last major summer festival, the Ípsosis to?Stavro?(Exaltation of the Cross), keenly observed on Hálki.
September 24
The feast of Áyios Ioánnis Theológos (Saint John the Divine), observed on Níssyros and Pátmos.
October 26
The feast of Áyios Dhimítrios (Saint Demetrius), another popular name day, particularly celebrated in Thessaloníki, of which he is the patron saint. In rural areas the new wine is traditionally broached on this day, a good excuse for general inebriation.
October 28
Óhi Day , the year's major patriotic shindig - a national holiday with parades, folk-dancing and speeches to commemorate Metaxas's apocryphal one-word reply to Mussolini's 1940 ultimatum: " Ohi !" (No!).
November 8
Another popular name day, the feast of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel (Mihaïl and Gavriïl, or tón Taxiárhon ), marked by rites at the numerous churches named after them, particularly at the rural monastery of Taxiárhis on Symi, and the big monastery of Mandamádhos, Lésvos.
December 6
The feast of Áyios Nikólaos (Saint Nicholas), the patron of seafarers, who has many chapels dedicated to him.
December 25
A much less festive occasion than Greek Easter, Christmas ( Khristoúyenna ) is still an important religious feast celebrating the birth of Christ, and in recent years it has started to take on more of the trappings of the western Christmas, with decorations, Christmas trees and gifts. December 26 is not Boxing Day as in England but the Synaxis tis Panayías , or Gathering of the Virgin's Entourage.
December 31
New Year's Eve ( Paramon?Protokhroni?), when, as on the other twelve days of Christmas, a few children still go door-to-door singing the traditional kálanda (carols), receiving money in return. Adults tend to sit around playing cards, often for money. The vassilópitta is cut at midnight (see January 1).

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