N.Y’s Greeks Mark Independence Day

It’s a little delayed from March 25, but Greek Independence Day will be celebrated in New York on April  7 with a traditional parade, for which many in the community have been preparing floats and costumes for months.

Scores of thousands of people of every age, hundreds of Greek institutions (schools, federations, communities, associations, student organizations), as well as dozens of floats and bands will participate in the march through Manhattan.

This year’s parade will have the following slogan “Greeks will overcome the crisis with courage and determination.” Like every year, the contingent of Evzones of the Presidential Guard will open the parade, while for the first time there will not be a delegation from the Greek Parliament, because of the economic crisis. The governments of Greece and Cypriot Republic will be represented by diplomatic and consular authorities. US officials and the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg.

The Greek Parade is organized every year by Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York. George Venizelos, the FBI’s Assistant Director in the city, will be the parade’s Grand Marshal. Athena Lazarides-Dimitriou will be the honorary master of ceremonies in commemoration of her husband, Dimitris Dimitriou,  who died recently. He was a well-known member of the Federation of Greek Associations of New York and for years was the parade’s announcer.

Earlier on Sunday, the doxology will be sung by the Archbishop Demetrios of America at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Manhattan.