Oxi Day 2026: What Greece Celebrates on October 28
Oxi Day (also written Ohi Day or Ochi Day, in Greek Επέτειος του Όχι) is Greece's national holiday on October 28. It remembers the early morning of October 28, 1940, when Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas turned down an ultimatum from Benito Mussolini's Italy, and Greece entered World War II on the side of the Allies. "Oxi" (όχι) simply means "no".
In 2026, October 28 falls on a Wednesday. It is a public holiday in Greece and in Cyprus, with parades, church services, blue and white flags on every balcony, and free entry to state museums and archaeological sites. Below is what happened in 1940, why the day still matters so much to Greeks, and what to expect this year, whether you are in Athens, in Melbourne or simply curious about Greece.
What Happened on October 28, 1940?
By the autumn of 1940, Greece was trying hard to stay out of the war. Italy had occupied neighbouring Albania in 1939 and joined the war in June 1940. On August 15, 1940, the Greek cruiser Elli was torpedoed at anchor off the island of Tinos by a submarine that the Greek government was convinced was Italian. Athens still avoided any move that could be read as provocation.
At about 3:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28, the Italian ambassador, Emanuele Grazzi, arrived at Metaxas's home in Kifissia, north of Athens, with a note from Rome. It accused Greece of helping Britain and demanded that Italian troops be allowed to occupy unnamed strategic points in Greek territory, with a deadline of 6:00 a.m. According to the American envoy in Athens, when Metaxas asked which points, Grazzi said he did not know.
Metaxas refused on the spot. His actual words, in French, the language of diplomacy, were "Alors, c'est la guerre" ("Then it is war"). At 5:30 a.m., Italian forces crossed the border from Albania. Greece ordered a general mobilisation, and the reply passed into memory as a single word: Oxi. It came to stand for the answer of a whole country, not only of its government.
Greece vs Italy, 1940: What Came Next
Italy expected a short campaign. Instead, Greek forces stopped the advance in the mountains of Epirus and the Pindus within weeks, then went on the attack. On November 22, 1940, they took the town of Korçë (Koritsa) in Albania, and through a hard winter they pushed deep into southern Albania, the area Greeks call Northern Epirus. At a time when much of Europe was under Axis control, it was one of the first real Allied successes on land, and Britain sent air and later ground support.
Germany stepped in to rescue its ally. It invaded Greece on April 6, 1941, and its troops entered Athens on April 27. Crete fell after an airborne assault in May, and the country was split into German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation zones. Years of hunger, reprisals and resistance followed. One of the first acts of defiance came on the night of May 30, 1941, when two young students, Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas, pulled down the swastika flag from the Acropolis. Athens was liberated on October 12, 1944.
Historians still debate how much the Greek campaign delayed Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. What is not in doubt is what it meant for Greeks: a small country, told to give in, said no and fought back.
Why Is Oxi Day Celebrated?
The anniversary was marked even before the war ended. On October 28, 1941, the first anniversary, students gathered at the University of Athens under Italian occupation. Professor Konstantinos Tsatsos gave a speech that cost him his job, and groups of students laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the years that followed, the date became a rallying point for the resistance. Today it is one of Greece's two national days, alongside March 25, which marks the start of the 1821 War of Independence.
Agia Skepi: The Church Feast on October 28
October 28 is also a feast of the Orthodox Church: the Holy Protection of the Theotokos, known in Greek as Agia Skepi. It recalls a Byzantine story of the Virgin Mary spreading her veil over the people of Constantinople in a time of danger. The feast was traditionally kept on October 1, but in 1952 the Church of Greece moved it to October 28, so that it would be celebrated together with the national anniversary. That is why every Oxi Day begins with a doxology, a service of thanksgiving, in churches across Greece.
How Greece Celebrates October 28
Schools mark the day first, usually on October 27, with poems, songs and short plays about 1940. On the day itself, cities and villages hold a doxology, lay wreaths at war memorials and then hold a parade. Pupils march in school uniform, and the flag is carried by the student with the highest grades, a role that Greek families take seriously. Many houses and shops hang the Greek flag from late October, and public buildings are lit up in the evening. The songs of 1940 are played everywhere, especially those of Sofia Vembo, the singer whose wartime hits made her known as the singer of victory.
The big military parade is held in Thessaloniki, not Athens. The city has its own reason for a long weekend of celebration: October 26 is the feast of its patron saint, Agios Dimitrios, and the anniversary of its liberation in 1912, so local media describe a triple celebration. Athens, which hosts the military parade on March 25, holds a student parade on October 28.
Oxi Day 2026: Parade Times in Thessaloniki and Athens
In Thessaloniki, the student parade is on Tuesday, October 27, at 11:00 a.m. on Tsimiski Street. On Wednesday, October 28, the day opens with a 21-gun salute at sunrise. At 10:15 a.m., the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki leads a memorial service at the war memorial of the army's Third Corps (ASDIM), where the President of the Republic lays a wreath. The military, student and civic parade starts at 11:00 a.m. on Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, from Georgiou Papandreou Street to the White Tower. The flag is lowered at the White Tower at 5:30 p.m., again with 21 shots.
In Athens, the official wreath laying and the student parade take place around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma, with the parade starting at 11:00 a.m. Traffic police close roads in the centre from 9:00 a.m., including Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, Panepistimiou Street and parts of Vasilissis Sofias and Syngrou avenues. Piraeus and other towns hold their own parades, with times set by each municipality.
Is Oxi Day a Public Holiday? What Is Closed on October 28, 2026
October 28 is a mandatory public holiday across Greece. Schools, universities, public services and banks are closed, and so are most shops and supermarkets. Cafes, restaurants, kiosks and petrol stations can open, but hours vary, so check before you go. ATMs, card payments and online banking work as usual.
If you are visiting, this is a good day for culture. Under Ministry of Culture rules, entry is free on October 28 to all state archaeological sites, monuments and museums. The Acropolis Museum, which has its own rules, is also free on the day, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Expect bigger crowds than usual, and arrive early at the most popular sites.
Cyprus also marks Ochi Day on October 28 as a public holiday, with school celebrations, and the Central Bank of Cyprus has confirmed that banks there will be closed.
How Greeks Abroad Mark Oxi Day
For Greeks in the United States, Canada, Australia, the UK and beyond, Oxi Day is one of the main dates of the community year. Greek Orthodox parishes hold a doxology, Greek schools put on performances, and embassies and consulates often host a ceremony or reception. Parades are usually moved to the nearest weekend. In Toronto, for example, the Greek Community of Toronto held its Oxi Day parade along Danforth Avenue on Sunday, October 25, 2026, followed by a wreath laying. For anyone far from Greece, your local parish or Greek community is the best place to find what is happening near you.
For many families, it is also the day grandparents tell the story of 1940 once more. If your family has roots in Greece, it can be a natural moment to look into your own family history or records.
How to Say No in Greek: Oxi Pronunciation
The word is όχι, pronounced roughly OH-hee, with the stress on the first syllable. The Greek letter χ is a soft, breathy sound made at the back of the throat, close to the "ch" in the Scottish word "loch". That is why it appears in English as Oxi, Ohi, Ochi or Okhi. To add to the confusion for visitors, "yes" in Greek is ναι, which sounds like "neh". Many Greeks also say no without words: a small upward nod of the head with raised eyebrows.
Oxi Day Greetings and Wishes
There is no single fixed greeting for October 28 in the way there is for Christmas or Easter. Many Greeks say "Χρόνια πολλά" (CHRO-nia po-LA, "many years"), the everyday wish for any celebration. In speeches and school events you will hear "Ζήτω η Ελλάδα" (ZEE-toh ee eh-LAH-tha), "Long live Greece". In the diaspora, "Happy Oxi Day" is common on social media.
Did Churchill Say "Heroes Fight Like Greeks"?
Every October, one line is shared more than any other: "Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks," usually credited to Winston Churchill. There is no evidence that he said it. Quote Investigator traced the earliest known version to an April 1941 article in the Manchester Guardian by the Greek diplomat Demetrius Caclamanos, who presented it as something that had been "rightly said", without naming anyone. The link to Churchill appears in print only from 1951, and Churchill scholar Richard Langworth could not find it in Churchill's speeches or writings.
The sentiment was real, though. In the winter of 1940 to 1941, newspapers around the world followed the Greek front closely, and the Greek resistance gave a boost to the Allies at one of the darkest points of the war.
Oxi Day FAQ
What is Oxi Day in Greece?
Oxi Day is Greece's national holiday on October 28. It marks the day in 1940 when Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas rejected Fascist Italy's ultimatum, which brought Greece into World War II on the Allied side. Greeks also call it the Anniversary of the No (Επέτειος του Όχι) or simply 28 Οκτωβρίου.
What does Oxi mean, and why is it called Ohi or Ochi Day?
Όχι is the Greek word for "no". It is pronounced roughly OH-hee, and the different English spellings (Oxi, Ohi, Ochi, Okhi) are all attempts to write the same word in Latin letters.
When is Oxi Day 2026?
Oxi Day 2026 falls on Wednesday, October 28. Schools hold their ceremonies on Tuesday, October 27, and the main parades take place on the morning of the 28th.
Is October 28 a public holiday in Greece?
Yes. It is a mandatory national holiday. Schools, public services and banks are closed, as are most shops and supermarkets. Cafes, restaurants, kiosks and petrol stations can open, and ATMs and online banking work as normal.
Where is the Oxi Day parade?
The main military parade is held in Thessaloniki, along Megalou Alexandrou Avenue towards the White Tower, in front of the President of the Republic. Athens holds a student parade past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma, and almost every town and village has its own school parade.
Are museums free on October 28?
Yes. Entry to state archaeological sites, monuments and museums run by the Ministry of Culture is free for everyone on October 28. The Acropolis Museum is also free that day.
Is Oxi Day celebrated in Cyprus?
Yes. Cyprus marks Ochi Day on October 28 as Greek National Day, with school celebrations, and banks there are closed.
Did Churchill say "heroes fight like Greeks"?
There is no evidence that he did. The earliest known use is an April 1941 newspaper article by a Greek diplomat, and Churchill experts have not found it in his speeches or writings.
Cover photo: Evzones charging on the Albanian front, 1940 to 1941, Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic and Historical Archive photo exhibition, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Parade photo: Oxi Day parade on Rhodes, 2011, by Chrischerf, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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