The main military parade on Tuesday on the annual OXI (Ochi) Day commemoration marking Greece’s entry into World War II will again take place in Thessaloniki.
Greece joined the Allied struggle against the Axis on Oct. 28, 1940, after being invaded by fascist Italian forces from neighboring Albania along the mountain passes of northwest Epirus province. An early morning ultimatum delivered by the Italian ambassador in Athens to Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas was dismissed with the phrase “alors, c’est la guerre,” French for “then, it is war.” The laconic response was further condensed by Athens’ press hours later as just “OXI” – pronounced O-chi – Greek for “No”.
Italian forces were first deflected and then chased back into Albania with successive counterattacks.
The parade was livestreamed by several platforms, here:
As a result, the country’s entry into the Second World War has been entrenched in modern Greece’s historical memory as “OXI Day”.
The main boulevard along the northern Greece metropolis again hosted the annual military parade, with new “entries” this year being anti-drone systems and even weapon systems based on AI. Newly modified MBTs with anti-drone cages will also be displayed. President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas viewed the parade from the dignitaries’ stand.
A domestically built drone, the Archytas model, flew over the parade, along with mini drones developed by the Naval Cadets School.
An honor guard marches in central Athens on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of Parliament, and ahead of the annual pupils’ parade in the heart of the Greek capital.
In Athens, the day began with the hoisting of the flag on the Acropolis with a commemorative event, followed by a te deum service at the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral and the laying of wreaths in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before Parliament.
A parade by pupils and armed forces cadets followed in Syntagma Square, before Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Three members of the Presidential Honor Guard (Evzones) march in central Athens on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before Parliament, and ahead of the annual pupils’ parade in the heart of the Greek capital. A makeshift memorial to the victims of the February 2023 Tempi rail accident can be seen in the foreground.
Three warships will be docked in the port of Piraeus and will be open to the public for touring, namely, the frigate “Psara”, the fast patrol boat “Karathanasis” and the submarine “Pipinos”.
