Throughout the year, Athens celebrates many religious occasions and national holidays. On these days, shops and official and public services are either closed or have shorter working hours.

Agios Vasileios: held on New Year’s Day and also known as Protochronia, this national holiday celebrates the coming of the New Year. Following a morning church service, gifts are then exchanged and there is singing and dancing. A special cake known as Vasilopita is baked and eaten. The cake has a coin inside and whoever eats the piece that contains the coin will have a year of good luck. Greeks wish each other a happy new year by saying ‘Kali Hronia.’

Epiphany (Theofania): held in early January, this day is a national holiday and a day to feast. ‘Blessing of the Waters’ ceremonies take place throughout Greece, where rivers, lakes and seas are blessed around the country and crosses are placed in the water.

Ypapanti: held in early February, this is an Orthodox feast day that is held prior to pre-Lent carnivals.

Apokries: carnivals take place for three weeks leading up to Lent celebrations. Festivities include parades, costume balls and many other celebrations in Athens

Kathari Deftera: the population of the city gather in the Athenian countryside to fly kites.

Independence Day and The Feast of Annunciation (Evangelismos): held in late March, this is a national holiday. There are parades and dances in celebration of the 1821 revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

Orthodox Easter (Megali Evdomada): held in late April and early May, Easter is the most important holiday in the Greek Orthodox religion. It rarely coincides with Christian Easter. Many shops are closed during this period and most businesses take several days holiday.

St George’s Day (Agios Georgios): held in late April, this is possibly the most important feast day of the Orthodox calendar and it commemorates the patron saint of shepherds.

May Day (Protomagia): held on Labour Day, May Day is a national holiday and a family day.

Agios Konstantinos Kai Agia Eleni: held in mid-May, this day is celebrated throughout Greece in commemoration of Constantine and his mother Helen, who were the first Orthodox Byzantine rulers.

Ascension Day (Analipsi): this is another important feast day that is held 40 days after Easter.

Whit Monday (Agios Pnevmatos): a Greek national holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost.

Athens Festival: held mid-June to mid-September, this is a popular festival with a mixture of modern and ancient theatre, ballet, opera, classical music and jazz, some of which is performed on the slopes of the Acropolis.

St John's Day (Agios Ioannis): held in late June, this day is celebrated throughout Greece, commemorating the birth of St John the Baptist.

Ionnina Cultural Summer: held in July and August, this festival offers a wide range of music, arts and cultural events in Athens throughout the summer.

Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Koimisis tis Theotokou): held in mid-August, this is a national holiday.

Ypsosis You Timiou Stavrou: held in mid-September, this feast day celebrates the Exaltation of the True Cross and is a major summer festival in Athens.

Agios Dimitrios: held in late October, this day traditionally marked the end of the grazing season when sheep were brought down from the hills.

Ochi Day: held in late October, this is a national holiday with parades and dancing. It commemorates the Greek refusal to surrender to Mussolini when asked to do so in 1940.

Eisodia Tis Theotokou: held in mid-November, this is a very important feast day that celebrates the giving of the virgin to the temple.

St Nicholas’ Day (Agios Nikolaos): held in early December, people celebrate this day at seaside churches, with St Nicholas being the patron saint of seafarers, travellers, children and orphans.

Christmas Day (Christougenna): this is a national holiday in Athens and although less significant than Easter, it is still an important day in the city. Expect Christmas trees, decorations and presents.

The Gathering of the Virgin’s Entourage (Synaxis tis Theotokou): held in late December, this is a national holiday that celebrates the religious meeting of the Virgin's entourage

New Year's Eve: celebrations are held throughout the city.