1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. Greece Travel

Festivals in Greece - September, October, November, and December

The best of fall, the beginning of winter

By deTraci Regula, About.com

Curve of beach at Sweetwater, Crete

Part of Sweetwater Beach, a popular nude beach on Crete.

deTraci Regula
Please note: festivals change their dates due to many factors. If you are planning a trip around a particular festival, locally confirm that it is actually happening before you go. Corrections and additions to this list are welcomed.

Brief articles on many holidays can be found here: Events and Folklore

More Holidays and Festivals in Greece:

January, February, and March Festivals
April and May Festivals
June and July Festivals
August and September Festivals
October, November, and December Festivals

OCTOBER

October - Demetria Festival in Thessaloniki
October - Larissia - Eleftheria Festival
October - third Sunday - Elos - nar Kissamos, Crete Chestnut Feast -
October 1st - St. Romanos the Melodist
October 1st - Gythio - Fisherman's Festival
October 3rd - St. Dionysios the Areopagite
October 6th - St. Thomas the Apostle
October 7th - Name Day for Sergios
October 8th - Lesvos - Kaloni - St. Iganatios at Limonas Monastery
October 8th - Name Day for Pelagia
October 10th - Name Day for Evlambios
October 15th - Name Day for Loukianos
October 18th - St. Luke the Evangelist; Name Day for Luke
October 20th - Name Day for Artemios; Gerassimios
October 21st - Name day for Socrates
October 23rd - St. James, the Brother of the Lord; Name Day for Jacob
October 26th - St. Demetrios the Myrrh-flowing; Name Day for Dimitrios
October 27th - St Nestor the Martyr; Name Day for Nestor
October 28th - Ochi Day - widely observed date of Metaxa's refusal to let German troops into the country.
October 30th - Name Day for Zinovia, Zenobia

NOVEMBER

November - Drama - Cinema Festival
November - Athens Marathon
November - Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
November - First weekend - Voukolies-Kissamos - Tsikoudia Festival
November - First week - Crete - Rethymnon - Arkadi Monastery - Observation of the holocaust
November 1st - name Day for Anargiros, Damianos, Kosmas
November 8th - Archangel Michael and Gabriel; Name Day for Michael, Gabriel, Angelos, Stamatios
November 10th - Name Day for Orestis
November 11th - Saint Minas
November 11th - Name Day for Victor
November 13th Saint John Chrysostom; Name Day for Chrissostome
November 14th - St. Philip the Apostle; Name Day for Philip, Phillipos
November 16th - St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist
November 17th - Widely observed anniversary of harshly-suppressed student uprising
November 18th - Name Day for Plato
November 21st - Name day for virgin girls named Mary
November 25th - St. Katherine the Great Martyr; Name Day for Catherine
November 26th - Name Day for Stilianos
November 30th - St. Andrew the Apostle; Name Day for Andrew, Andreas

DECEMBER

December - Corfu - St. Spryidon
December 4th - St. Barbara - patron saint of the military.
December 4th - St. John of Damascus
December 5th - St. Savvas the Blessed
December 6th - Saint Nicholas - widely observed
December 9th - Saint Anna day
December 12th - Saint Spyridon
December 13th - Saint Efstratos
December 15th - Saint Eleftherios
December 17th - St. Dionysos of Zakynthos
December 17th - The Prophet Daniel
December 20th - St. Ignatius the God-Bearer
December 22 - St. Anastasia the Healer from Poison
December 23rd - Kozani/Siatista - Klarides - Festival with bonfires commemorating shepherds who proclaimed the birth of Jesus.
December 23rd- Florina- Bonfires and caroling
December 24th - widely observed - caroling in the streets
December 25th - Christmas. Also, name day for Christos.
December 26th - The Most Holy Theotokos
December 27th - St. Stephen the First Martyr
December 31st - Gythio - Exchange of gifts in the public square in the Nativity area. Fireworks, music, food.
December 31st - Chios - Model ships carried while fishermen sing local songs.
December 31st - Throughout Greece - card playing on green covered tables, gift exchanges.

More Holidays and Festivals in Greece:

January, February, and March Festivals
April and May Festivals
June and July Festivals
August and September Festivals
October, November, and December Festivals

Planning your trip to Greece? Find and compare hotel rates at many locations in Greece: Hotels in Greece

Compare airfares to Greece here: Find Greek Airfares

Explore Greece Travel

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. Greece Travel
  4. Concerts, Events, Festivals
  5. Events
  6. Festivals in Greece - September, October, November, and December

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.