Traditions

The City of Athens has replaced a Christmas tree on the main square in the downtown neighborhood of Exarchia after its predecessor was torched by anarchists objecting to a police crackdown in the area.

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis announced the placement of the new tree on Facebook on Friday morning.

More than 18,000 LED lights have been lit, used as a Christmas tree decoration in California, believed to be the highest in the world, world agencies reported.

The thirty-five-foot white fir in front of Citadel Outlets in Commerce, California is also decorated with 10,000 ornaments.
With the LED lights on, the celebration of the Christmas holidays began.

The thrill of the Christmas celebration has already grasped locals in Turkey's western Burdur province but in a different way. Some 300 women have started working hard to prepare at least 650,000 Christmas wreaths which will be exported to countries such as Britain, Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and probably the United States until December.

Heroes Day is celebrated on Thursday, June 6, on Ascension Day, all over the country through military and religious ceremonies, wreaths laying at the tombs and memorials of the heroes fallen in the line of duty, over time, on the battlefields. The Ministry of National Defence is organising today military and religious ceremonies dedicated to Heroes Day in all major garrisons of the country.

On May 15 we mark the International Day of Families. It was established in 1993 by the UN General Assembly and reflects the importance which the international community gives to families.

The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness on issues related to the family and increases knowledge on social, economic and demographic processes that affect families.

The leader of centrist Potami, Stavros Theodorakis, said on Tuesday Greece needs to speed up the establishment of cremation sites so that people will stop sending their dead to Bulgaria where the procedure is allowed.

International Women's Day is celebrated each year on March 8th. This is a day for international recognition of women's economic, political and social achievements.

The celebration began in 1857 in New York when one of the first protests of women working in textile factories was organized. They demanded equal rights with men, reduced working hours and improved working conditions.

Some 800 participants from all over the country are expected at the 21st Festival of Masquerade Games in Stara Zagora on March 9, the Municipality said. The organisers expect the arrival of 19 companies, including six of children. Each company will present a custom typical of its hometown before a four-member jury.

The Romanian spring celebration tradition of 'martisor', listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is an integrant part of the country's identity-defining traditional culture, states the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

Bulgarians are celebrating on Tuesday Baba Marta (Grandma March) holiday, which is observed each year on March 1.

On this day, people greet each other with "Happy Baba Marta" and exchange adornments called "martenitsi" (named after the month of March).