Ochi Day Parade

As you are aware, Adriana is on holiday, so she has requested that I try and continue (nowhere near as informatively as she) to keep all her readers aware of Symi activities. As this is my first winter on Symi, I am interested in the daily aspects of Symi life and it was suggested that I should attend my first Ochi Day Parade. For those of you (and me) who don’t know what Ochi Day is, please accept my very brief description.

In 1940, the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas was given an ultimatum, which basically stated free passage for Italian troops to occupy Greek territory. Obviously Metaxa's answer was 'Ochi' (No) hence the Ochi Day Parade.

The parade day started badly: due to a heavy downpour of rain, the smaller children had to take shelter in Chorio village school. Once the sun eventually appeared, the children were assembled outside and with their national flags and banners unfurled proceeded to march down the Kali Strata to join the rest of the parade participants in Yialos.

The mayor of Symi and other dignitaries witnessed the march past of the young people in the parade who looked resplendent in their uniforms of white and navy blue, totally in contrast to the soldiers in their olive green uniforms.