Independence Day & Costumes

Independence Day is the celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821 and takes place on March 25th every year. It is a festival which acknowledges the successful Greek War of Independence, which went on for nine years from 1821 to 1829. The war was fought to free Greece from four centuries of Ottoman occupation and at the end of nine years of fighting, Greece was finally recognized as an independent state. The holiday was established in 1838 with a Royal Decree by King Otto's government. It is a public holiday, when schools and most businesses close, and all over Greece celebrations take place. Neapoli is no exception and there is a parade, where schoolchildren march in traditional Greek folk costumes and carry Greek flags. This takes place after the church service. It coincides with the Feast of Annunciation, another big Greek Orthodox Church celebration, which commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to inform her that she was pregnant with Jesus Christ.

Greek Independence Day

The male traditional costume in Crete consists of baggy black or navy breeches (“vraka”), which are tucked into high leather boots (“stivania”). They wear an embroidered waistcoat (“meidanogileko”) over a black or white shirt, which is made from rough fabric. A crocheted scarf (“sariki”) is worn wrapped around the head. Around the waist is a long red or black silk sash and in winter they add a warm woollen cape. A knife is also worn in its sheath tucked into the waistband of the breeches. Knife making is a craft that survives today and knives are readily available to buy. Although Crete still has a tradition of boot making there are not many craftsmen who employ the traditional methods of making them. The female traditional costume in Crete is rarely worn day to day; men wear the traditional clothing much more frequently than women. Generally it is worn by folksingers and dancers. However, it is worn during the many festivals which take place on Crete. Cretan women wear a long, full skirt down to the ankles and a loose blouse tucked into the skirt. Over the blouse is a waistcoat, which is very often made from velvet; it is decorated with gold braiding and coins. It has a deep neckline and is left open. A highly embroidered apron is worn over the skirt. There is also a headdress (“papazi”) rather like a fez or she may wear a small kerchief. On her feet she wears flat, black boots or black, heeled shoes. When the costume is worn during a celebration, it is made of more expensive fabric, with more embroidery and accompanied by gold and silver jewellery and more gold coins, indicating the financial status of the family. She also carries a small knife (“argirobounialaki”) attached to a belt.