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Activities for which Greek schools have special costumes inclyde parades and other events organized for Independene Day. Parades are also held on Ochi Day. Special outfits are also worn for end of school gymnastics demonstrations. Since the 19th century, schools in Greece celebrate Independence day on March 25. Since the early 20th century it has been popular in schools to make theatrical presentations of the revolution events, read poems and sing related songs. For the theatrical presentation boys are dressed in foustanela (white kilts), but some play the roles of the Ottoman officials or Orthodox Church priests and wear other related costumes. Another event is the parade. Students parade in the main street of the city along with soldiers, boyscouts, police forces, war heroes, red cross nurses etc. In small villages that do not have soldiers, police forces etc. there is only a small student parade. Since the 50s the parade is not only an event of the Independence day but also of the 'Ochi' day (28th October). Boys and girls must wear a uniform for the parade. Many elementary schools since the 1950s have had gymnastic demonstrations at the last day of the school year. These demonstrations, however, have since the 1980s become less common.
Singing is a popular activity at school. Some schools formed choirs. This varied depending on the capabilities and interests of the teachers. Many schools just did singing informallynas part of class ctivities. Other schools actially formed a formal choir. Some may have even participated in loyal civic events. We do have much ninformatiin on this yet, but we note some photographs of school choirs. We have ben unable to find any information on these choirs. We have found a few images if school choirs.
Many elementary schools since the 1950s have had gymnastic demonstrations at the last day of the school year. Students performed a variety of exercises and group games in front of an audience, that included their parents, in the school yard, auditorium or the main square in some villages. Students were dressed in blue short sport shorts, white t-shirt with light PE sneakers and white ankle socks. In small villages with less wealthy students it was possible for students to perform barefoot with a white sleveless undergarment instead of the t-shirt. The gymnastic demonstrations reached their peak at the 1970s where some schools introduced special blue shorts and white t-shirts with the logo of the school printed on. Since the 1980s these demonstrations take place only in some private schools.
We do not now much about Greek field trips at this time. We note a group of Greek boys probably a secondary school group on an outing with a couple teachers, we think during the 1920s. We are not sure what the group was. We noter a substntial age difference. So they would not have been in the same class. We note some athletic equipment, including what looks like baseball equipment--unusual for Greece. We think that they could hsve been involved in sports. Greece and other European countries did not have sports programns like American schools. There were gym exercises, but not team sports and ganes between schools. England was a little different, but thius was the common European pattern. We though at furst that this might be nature walks which were common in Gerrmn schools, but the sports equipmnt suggests that this was a little different.
Greek school children wear uniforms for important annual parades. Students parade in the main street of the city along with soldiers, Boy Scouts, police forces, war heroes, red cross nurses etc. In small villages that do not have soldiers, police forces etc. there is only a small student parade. Since the 50s the parade is not only an event of the Independence Day (March 25) but also of the 'Ochi' day (October 28). Students of 5th and 6th grade of elementary schools and selected students of high schools do a parade on those two days. All participating students must wear a uniform which is determined by the board of the school. The uniform items always had to be be blue and white--the Greek national colors. The student with the best grades in school has the honor to parade by holding the flag. He is also wearing white gloves. The next five best students parade next and just beside him.
School theatricals are a standard in many schools around the world. We note reports of such activities in the 19th century as public schools appeared in many different countries. We do not have information on such activities before the 19th century, but as public education in Greece is a 19th century phenomenon so must be school theatricals. Schools in Greece began celebrate Independence Day and in the 20th cemtury Ohi/Oxi Day. Independence Day commemorattes the start of the Independence War against the Ottoman Empire (1821). Oxi Day commemorates the Prime-Minister Ioannis Metaxas rejection of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ultimatum to surrender his country (October 18, 1940). It is now popular in schools to make theatrical presentations of the revolution events, read poems and sing related songs on Independence Day (March 25). Many school also celebrate Oxi Day. For the theatrical presentation children are dressed in folk outfits. The boys are dressed in foustanela (white kilts). The girls wear folk dresses. Some play the roles of the Ottoman officials or Orthodox Church priests (requiring beards) and other related fifures requiring varied costumes. Full costumes includes tassled caps for the boys and head scarves for the girls.
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