Greek National Celebration and Independence Day

With the dynamic presence of Hellenism, the event for the Greek National Celebration and Independence Day of the Consulate General of New York took place on March 24, in the "Chioti" hall of the Holy Trinity Cathedral.Two years after the pandemic restrictions, the Consulate General of New York addressed an open invitation to Greeks, expatriates, and philhellenes, celebrating the anniversary of the Greek Revolution in a large and renovated space.

The event hid many surprises, as it started with greetings from the former federal coach of the National Greek Football Team, Otto Rehgel, with his partner, Giannis Topalidis, and the 2004 European footballer champions, George Karagounis and Antonis Nikopolidis, who are currently in New York to promote the movie "King Oto".

In her speech, the Ambassador of Greece in Washington, Ms. Alexandra Papadopoulou, spoke about the importance of Freedom, emphasizing thatfreedom is not given,nor should it be taken for granted. Freedom requires struggles to obtain it, as well as it needs constant vigilance for its preservation.

Afterwards, the Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Michalis Fyrillas, addressed a greeting, referring to the strength and values of the Greeks in combination with their ancestors, who demand that Greece and Cyprus face every national threatwhich turns against our freedom.

The Consul General of Greece in New York, Dr. Konstantinos Koutras, made extensive reference to the message of the day, but also to the current lessons of the fight for freedom of 1821. He pointed out, among other things, that we need to know our history and referredto the historical obligation we have as Greeks. "An obligation of honor, which we owe to those who have historically sacrificed themselves for Hellenism. We owe it to our ancestors, but we owe it even more to our children".

He also stressed that the Hellenism of New York is flourishing and that its constant efforts to maintain its customs and traditions are a source of inspiration for all of us. Concluding, the Consul General said that "today, 201 years later, we look to the future with optimism", referring to the achievements of Greeks inside and outside Greece.

Positive impressions were raised by the appearance of the Choir of the School of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, which under the direction of Teacher Theodoros Albanos, performed with excellent harmony hymns such as "To thee, the Champion Leader" and songs such as "Notional sun of justice". Also, the group "Cyprus-New York Productions" of Phytos Stratis sang “Thourios” and other anniversary songs, giving a special dimension to the event.

Present at the event were the Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN, Ms. Maria Theofili, the President of Atlantic Bank, Ms. Nancy Papaioannou, the Founder of Alma Bank, Mr Efstathios Valiotis, the President of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce, Mr Athas Ioannou and other well-known Greek Americans from the business, legal and medical fields.