School children in Greece paraded on Sunday to mark the Greek Independence Day and the 1821 Greek War of Independence on March 25 and thus a day before the military parade, on Monday.
At total of 1,500 students from 230 primary and secondary schools paraded in front of government and local officials at Syntagma Square.
Leading the parade were high schools students from Kalavryta wearing traditional costumes and carrying a banner of the Greek Revolution.
Also participating in the parade were the City of Athens Philharmonic Orchestra and music bands of the Greek Police, the Air force and the Fire Brigade.
Before the parade, Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis and the Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas laid wreaths at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier.
In comments following the parade, Minister Pierrakakis said that the historical day “teaches us how our country and our people can achieve miracles through faith, boldness, and fortitude.” In addition, the day’s religious celebration of Orthodoxy “underlines the need for relations of solidarity between state and church.”