St. Demetrius Day in Greece (26/10)

On October 26, Orthodox Greece celebrates the day of Saint Demetrius Day in Greece. This day is also revered in Bulgaria and Romania.

Demetrius of Thessalonica was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki, held a military post — was a local military leader whose duties included protecting the city from raids by « barbarians» and oppressing Christians. But since Demetrius’s parents were secret Christians, the military leader himself became a preacher of Christianity, while continuing to fulfill his military duty with dignity.

For his Christian activities, Demetrius was killed, and his body was given to wild animals to be torn to pieces. Naturally, he was soon canonized as a holy great martyr, and his relics became a shrine.

Under St. Constantine Equal to the Apostles (306—337), a church was erected over the grave of St. Demetrius. A hundred years later, during the construction of a new majestic temple, the incorruptible relics of the holy martyr were found on this site.

Saint Demetrius is considered the patron saint of the city of Thessaloniki. This city was founded by King Cassander of Macedonia in 315 BC, some time after the death of Alexander the Great in Babylon, and named Cassander after his wife, half-sister of Alexander the Great — Thessalonica. Moreover, the name of the city still sounds exactly like this — Thessalonica.

On the holiday of the city's patron, a carnival is held, music is played everywhere, theatrical performances are held, and young wine is drunk everywhere. The townspeople remember their patron on the day, October 26, 1912, when at the beginning of the 1st Balkan War, on the day of the feast of the patron saint of the city of St. Demetrius, the Greek army, with the active assistance of local residents, liberated Thessaloniki from the Turks and annexed the city to Greece, putting an end to centuries-long Ottoman yoke.

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica on November 8.

199