Athens, Greece » Entertainment » Festivals

Athens attracts thousands of visitors every year for attending series of festivals and events. With 365-days of sunshine and rich cultural heritage, Athens stages many festivals like Art-Athina, Athens Photo Festival, International Comics Festival, Athens Epidaurus Festival, Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival, August Full Moon Festival, Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival and many more.

Here are some regional, traditional festivals of Athens, Greece.

Agios Vasileios

Also called Protochronia, Agios Vasileios is celebrated on 1st January. People exchange traditional gifts and celebrate this New Year's Day.

Theophania

Theophania or Epiphany is an important feast day and a national holiday in Athens. It is marked with water ceremonies taking place throughout Greece on 6th January. On this day, the city's young crowd dives into the water to recover a cross thrown inside by the priest.

Ypapanti

Celebrated on 2nd February, Ypapanti is an orthodox feast day celebrated throughout Greece.

Apokries

Celebrated on the first Sunday before Lent, Apokries is marked by carnivals for three weeks before the pre-Lenten festivities. People enjoy Apokries by costume balls, parades, and other celebrations.

Independence Day and Evangelismos

Celebrated on 25th March, Independence Day and Evangelismos is a National holiday in Athens and Greece. The day is marked with dances and parades commemorating the revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.

Kathari Deftera

Kathari Deftera is marked by flying kites all over the country.

Megali Evdomada

Megali Evdomada is a holy week celebrated in late April or early May. The week includes the celebration of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Agios Georgios

Also known as St George's day, Agios Georgios is celebrated in honour of the patron saint of shepherds. Celebrated on 23rd April, the day is one of the most important feast days in Athens.

Protomagia

Protomagia is also known as May Day or Labor Day in Athens. Celebrated on 1st May, the day is marked as a family day in the city.

Agios Konstantinos kai Agia Eleni

Marked by fire walking, Agios Konstantinos kai Agia Eleni is enjoyed by the locals on 21st May. The day is celebrated in honour of Helen, the first Orthodox Byzantine ruler.

Analipsi

Celebrated 40 days after Easter, Analipsi is also an important feast day of Athens.

Pentkosti

Pentkosti or Whit Sunday or Pentecost is also one of the important feast days in Athens. The day is celebrated seven weeks after Orthodox Sunday.

Agiou Pnevmatos

A national holiday in Athens, Agiou Pnevmatos, is a feast of the Whit Monday or the Holy Spirit.

Athens Festival

One of the famous cultural festivals in Athens, the Athens Festival, is celebrated from mid-June to mid-September. The festival is marked with opera, classical music, ballet, jazz, ancient theatre, and much more. All the events are generally performed on the slopes of the Acropolis.

Agios Ioannis

Celebrated on 24th June, Agios Joannis, also called as St. John's Day. The day is celebrated in memory of the birth of the Baptist, St. John. One day before the Agios Ioannis, there are large bonfires lit all over Athens.

Agia Marina

Celebrated on 17th July, Agia Marina is a feast time enjoyed by all the people in the city. The feast is marked by paying tribute to the most important protector of crops.

Ionnina Cultural Summer

Marked by music, arts, and other cultural activities, Ionnina Cultural Summer is one of the famous festivals among tourists. The cultural events are organised during July and August.

Profitis ilias

Profitis ilias or the Prophet Elijah is celebrated from 18th July to 20th July at almost all the shrines in Greece.

Metamorfosi

Celebrated on 6th August, Metamorfosi is one of the important days for the Orthodox Church.

Koimisis tis Theotokou

Enjoyed as a feast day, Koimisis tis Theotokou is marked as a national holiday. The day is also known as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and is celebrated on 15th August.

Apotomi Kefalis Ioannou Prodromou

Commemorating the guillotine of the Baptist, St. John Apotomi Kefalis Ioannou Prodromou is celebrated on 29th August all over Athens and Greece.

Gennisis tis Theotokou

According to the Orthodox religious calendar, an important feast day, Gennisis tis Theotokou is enjoyed on 8th September by all the locals.

Ypsosis you Timiou Stavrou

An important summer festival in Athens, Ypsosis you Timiou Stavrou, is celebrated on 14th September. The day is enjoyed in the remembrance of the Exaltation of the True Cross.

Agios Dimitrios

Characterising the end of the grazing season, Agios Dimitrios is celebrated on 26th October. On this day, all the sheep are brought down the hills.

Ochi Day

Celebrated on 28th October, Ochi day is a national holiday in Athens marked with parades and dancing. The day commemorates the Greek answer of 'no' to the ultimatum from Mussolini calling for surrender in 1940.

Ton Taxiarchon Archangelou Michail kai Gavril

Celebrated on 8th November, the day is marked by many ceremonies at the rural churches and monasteries.

Eisodia tis Theotokou

Eisodia tis Theotokou is celebrated on 21st November. The day is marked by the presentation of the Virgin in the temple.

Agios Nikolaos

Celebrated on 6th December, Agios Nikolaos is enjoyed by the locals at the seaside churches.

Christougenna

A national holiday in Athens, Christougenna is truly enjoyed on 25th December. It is also one of the important feast days in Athens.

Synaxis tis Theotokou

Marked by a religious meeting celebrating the Virgin's entourage, Synaxis tis Theotokou is celebrated on 26th December. The day is also observed as a national holiday in the city.