OXI Day 28th October.

 

What is OXI Day ?

Oxi Day is a national holiday. Public buildings and private residences are festooned with the blue and white (Galanolefki) Greek flag. It is celebrated across the country with military and student parades.

 'Oxi' (ohi or ochi) means 'No' in the Greek language. 

Oxi Day commemorates the day when Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas defiantly refused an ultimatum handed to him on 28th October 1940 via The Italian Ambassador Emanuele Grazzi from Benito Mussolini the Italian dictator, an ally of Adolf Hitler.

The ultimatum required free unimpeded passage for the Italian army across the Greek Albanian border to occupy strategic areas of Greece. Refusal would be seen as an act of complicity with the enemy.

Metaxas, who had been a hugely unpopular figure having established a dictatorship in 1936, replied to the letter by saying 'This means war!' when Emanuele Grazzi attempted to suggest how this could be avoided Metaxas immediately interrupted with 'No!' Grazzi left with a deep respect for Metaxas, an elder who preferred to be sacrificed than enslaved. 

On that very same day Italian troops launched their military offensive in Epirus. Greece stood firm and a series of Greek victories along the northern borders forced the Italian army to retreat in Spring 1941. Greek euphoria, however was short lived as a counter attack was launched not by the Italians but by the German Army. The result was the invasion of Greece, a brutal occupation that lasted three and a half years.

Celebrations in Lefkada

This national holiday is deeply ingrained in Greek culture, shops and businesses are closed for the day with exception of cafes and restaurants which remain open for celebrations.  

We gathered at the Philharmonic building in Lefkada where the band, the second oldest in Greece, established in 1850 began to warm up. 

We marched through the town centre to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Lefkada.

  

Here we were met by several local dignitaries who entered the church for a remembrance service. Flag bearers stood by the church tower as the bells poignantly tolled.

After the church service the parade of dignitaries and the band walked through town to lay wreaths of laurel on the war memorials.

The Greek National Anthem 'Hymn to Liberty' was played at the end of this part of the parade. All the people gathered stood to show respect remembering the many thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in the defense of Greece and hundreds and thousands of civilians who perished during three and a half years of occupation. 

School children and students then took part in the parade with the Philharmonic band along the main street. Here dignitaries, families and locals gathered to watch and wave flags. 

An emotional and very proud momentous day.