OXI DAY: Only military parade in Thessaloniki and strictly up to 60 minutes

The military parade in Thessaloniki to commemorate Oxi Day on October 28 will only be a military one.

According to information from Voria, civilians will not parade, and the duration of the parade will not exceed 60 minutes.

OXI Day on October 28, 1940, commemorates the anniversary when former military general and Prime Minister of Greece Ioannis Metaxas said: “OXI” (NO) to an ultimatum made by Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, an ally of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

It is said that at 3 am on October 28, 1940, an ultimatum was handed to Ioannis Metaxas at his home in Kifissia by the Italian Ambassador of Athens, Emanuele Grazzi.

The ultimatum required the free passage of the Italian army through the Greek-Albanian border and thus began the occupation of some strategic areas of Greece.

After reading the letter, Metaxas turned to the Italian Ambassador and replied in French (which was the official diplomatic language at the time) with the historic phrase: ‘Alors, c’est la guerre’ (Well, this means war), taking his stance against Italian demands.

At the time, Metaxas expressed Greek popular sentiment, which was the denial of allegiance.

This refusal was passed through to the Greek press with the word ‘Oxi’ (No).

The word ‘Oxi’ was first presented as a title in the main article of the newspaper ‘Greek Future’ of N. P. Efstratios on October 30, 1940. Locals all over Athens ran through the streets yelling “OXI”!

READ MORE: Commemorating ‘Oxi Day’ October 28, 1940.