Today is a double celebration: the Annunciation of the Theotokos, a feast of good news heralding the coming of the Savior and the redemption of humankind from the darkness of death and sin, and the Annunciation of the liberation of our nation from the darkness of Turkish enslavement.
This day should not be seen merely as a commemorative anniversary marked by flag decorations, parades, and other honorary events. Rather, it should be embraced as an opportunity that compels us to rekindle our historical heritage, recognize our sacred duty, understand our identity, and redefine our role as a nation and as citizens.
Today, all Greeks, amid difficult circumstances and unprecedented experiences, are called to remember and honor the historical events and heroic achievements of the Greek revolutionaries of 1821, who, defying death, revolted and fought for the “impossible,”
beyond any logical reasoning, with faith and determination, ultimately securing the long-awaited freedom of our homeland.
Every Greek has a duty to honor and uphold the values and ideals of the heroes of 1821. Today, more than ever, as our homeland faces economic, moral, and spiritual crises, as heroism, self-sacrifice, and ideals are being questioned, we must reaffirm our belief in the principles that have nurtured saints and heroes for centuries. We must never forget the values that 400 years of enslavement failed to erase from the hearts of the Greeks. We have an obligation to defend them at all costs. We must not allow globalization to erase everything we hold dear.
Greece is not just past glory, it is our continuous life and action. Greece is something that never dies, it is the eternal love of the Greeks for life and freedom.
What does 1821 teach us? Above all. It shows a love for an independent life and respect for human rights. The revolutionaries of ’21 did not leave us their weapons. Those are obsolete and stored in museums. They left us their immortal message: that a person is truly human only when they live in freedom.
Therefore, the message of March 25th is more relevant today than ever! It calls us to heed divine counsel and to truly love our fellow humans. It calls us to revolt against all the corrupt elements in our lives that lead to moral decay. It calls us to take responsibility so that we may improve as individuals and as citizens.
Taking responsibility, a phrase we have heard repeatedly in recent days, following the tragic railway accident in Tempi, has been heavily discussed, has made us silent, reflect, and consider the need for awareness and action.
Awakening is now necessary, as is resistance to anything that enslaves us mentally and spiritually.
Our duty is to learn from history and to adorn our nation’s glory with new laurels, to add new pages to it, and, as morally free citizens, to hold close to our hearts the words from Andreas Kalvos’ odes, “Virtue and boldness are required for freedom”.
Let us all strive together «to rebuild, under the divine celestial light, a Greece that is great once again”. Let us not forget that the greatest hope is born from the greatest adversities.
March 25th does not allow nor forgive forgetfulness. History has proven that nations that forget, that do not know their past, are doomed to hardship.
March 25 demands national unity and solidarity. Today, we must reclaim our national unity. As Makrygiannis stated, “This homeland belongs to all of us, scholars and illiterates, politicians, and soldiers, and even the humblest of people.” And as the Old Man of Moreά said to the high school students at the Pnyx: “It is up to you to heal and adorn the land that we liberated. For this to happen, you must have unity, faith, and wise freedom.”
The great achievements of the Greek revolutionaries have been recorded to serve as guiding lights for all of us, for you, the younger generations. We owe this not only to those who sacrificed everything but also to those yet to be born. Today, we must face every challenge with our heads held high, with faith, and with love for humanity. We are heirs to a rich legacy,
and we must safeguard it and pass on to our children the fruits of centuries of culture, struggle, and creativity of our people.
Freedom and independence are not won ONLY ONCE, they require constant struggles, faith, sacrifice, and unity.
Speech delivered at the school celebration of March 25, 2023 E. Tsouvalas, Philologist, E. Mandoulides School
