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BOSTON — Greek-American communities across Massachusetts gathered in Boston on Sunday, May 1, to commemorate 201 years of Greek independence.
Greek Independence Day is usually celebrated on March 25; for this is the exact date that the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Turkish Empire began in 1821, which would ultimately lead to the first independent Greek state in over 400 years.
This date is an official national holiday in Greece and Cyprus, and it is an important holiday for Greek communities around the world. This holiday usually includes military parades and historical reenactments. It is an opportunity for Greek communities to spend time celebrating with friends and family, honoring the sacrifices their ancestors made for their freedom.
However, due to the current situation Covid-19 pandemicthe parade had to be canceled in 2021, which would have been the 200th anniversary, and postponed to a later date, in May 2022.
The Boston Greek Independence Day Parade includes a parade on Boylston Street in downtown Boston, where Greek Orthodox churches, Greek cultural organizations, Greek language schools and Greek businesses parade at the unison to celebrate their heritage and culture.
Among the parade were several Greek-American communities in the Westford and Merrimack Valley area, such as the congregations of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, and Holy Trinity Church in Lowell.
Massachusetts, home to the fifth-largest Greek-American population in the country, has long been a bastion of Greek life and culture. The Merrimack Valley area is home to a large Greek-American population, with many Greeks immigrating since the 18th century.
There was a sharp increase in immigration after Greece gained independence in the mid-19th century, and another wave of immigrants arrived in the early 20th century after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The vast majority of Greek immigrants came in search of better employment opportunities and economic prosperity, settling in industrial towns along the Merrimack River.
The parade continued down Boylston Street before ending at the Boston Common, where Greek food, music and traditional dances were provided by the Greek-American community for all participants.
Toward the end of the ceremony, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu delivered a brief speech alongside Methodios Tournas, bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitanate of Boston, and the “Evzones,” the Greek presidential guard.
In his speech, Wu extended his support to Boston’s Greek-American community, honoring the 201st anniversary of the Greek Revolution. She also pointed out that it was the 100th anniversary of the Greco-Turkish War, which ended with the forced deportation and genocide of Greeks from the Ottoman Empire, which is still relevant today. denied by Turkey to date.
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