Best time to visit Greece

Patras Carnival (starts 17 January)

Pre-Lent celebrations in Greece come in the form of carnivals, and there’s no bigger than the one at Patras, Western Greece, which lasts for weeks. The inspiration for its parades and floats might have come from nearby Venice, but over the years it’s forged its own identity. Tens of thousands come out in force to watch the Grand Parade of satirical floats and the closing ceremony, where the float of the Carnival King is set on fire and fireworks bring the festivities to a bombastic end.

Holy Week (changes yearly)

Many Greeks head home to celebrate Easter together with their extended families. The beautiful church interiors are packed with people clutching candles for long Mass services. In classic Greek fashion, bread accompanies celebrations – and there’s also magiritsa soup and roast lamb on the spit.

Athens-Epidaurus Festival (June-August)

Every summer, Greece celebrates its role as the birthplace of Western theatre with performances at historic venues – most famously at the magnificent ancient theatre at Epidaurus but also the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the Acropolis in Athens. It’s a unique chance to see plays by Sophocles, Aeschylus, Aristophanes and Euripides staged where they were first performed 2,500 years ago.

Assumption of the Virgin Mary (panagia) (15 August)

Attending a panigyri in Greece is a great way to spend time with local people during one of their most important religious festivals, and each town celebrates slightly differently. Across Greece, people celebrate the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Communal tables are set out, and a stage for performances erected in village squares. There’s a feast and procession, and the night usually unravels into lots of dancing and music, out of the heat of the day.

Olympus Festival (July & August)

A long-running cultural festival, the biggest of its kind in Northern Greece, Olympus Festival brings together ballet, classical concerts, theatre and modern music, with Hellenistic theatre performances and traditional Greek music too. So far, so typical – but what makes this festival special is the performance spaces, which range from a millennia-old Greek theatre to an archaeological park – so you can enjoy arabesques in the amphitheatres.

Ohi Day (28 October)

The ‘Anniversary of the No’ is a public holiday in Greece, with schools and workplaces closed. It commemorates the World War II event when Greek dictator Metaxas stood up to Mussolini, and Hellenic forces pushed back against invading Italian forces. National flags are run up poles and white and blue bunting festoons town squares for the occasion.