The Greek flag was proudly raised during a ceremony at Manhattan’s Bowling Green Park Friday, two days before the annual Greek Parade in New York celebrating Greek Independence.
The highlight of the ceremony was a short parade that marched down from St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church to Bowling Green Park with the Evzones of Greece’s elite Presidential Guard, along with the band of the Greek school Platon. The Evzones will also take part in the grand, annual Fifth Avenue Parade on Sunday.
The dance groups of the Cultural Association of “Sinies” from North Corfu attracted both attention and praise while students from several schools in the broader New York area participated in the parade.
Prior to the flag-raising ceremony, a doxology service was held at St. Nicholas, officiated by Archbishop Elpidoforos of America. He was joined by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras while Greek-American singer Evangelia performed the national anthems of the United States and Greece before the Greek flag was raised on the flagpole.
Arthur Piccolo, Chairman of the Bowling Green Park Committee and one of the speakers during the ceremony, recalled the installation of the flagpole in 1996, which is used for national celebrations of all minority communities. He emphasized that the Greek flag holds a unique significance for this central New York City park, located on the edge of Manhattan’s Financial District.
Among those in attendance at the flag-raising ceremony were Nikos Androulakis, President of PASOK, Greek MPs Georgios Georgantas and Vasilis Kokkalis, Greece’s Consul General in New York Ifigenia Kanara, and governors and mayors from Greece along with other dignitaries.
Flag-raising ceremony takes place ahead of grand Fifth Avenue Greek Independence Parade
This year’s parade on Sunday celebrates the 204th anniversary of Greek Independence from the Ottoman Empire and is expected to be one of the largest to date.
Thousands of Greek-Americans and others are expected to descend onto Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to watch the traditional parade and participate in the festivities to mark the anniversary of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Turks.
Now in its 86th year, the parade is organized under the auspices of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.
More than 120 groups, including 52 floats and 15 bands will march along Fifth Avenue, from 64th to 79th Street. As in every year, the parade will begin with an honor guard of the Evzones.
Evangelos Marinakis, President of Olympiacos FC, General Andreas Poppas and Metropolitan Chysostomos of Patras are this year’s three Grand Marshals of the parade. Honorees include renowned Greek actor, director and screenwriter Christoforos Papakaliatis, creator of “Maestro,” and three-time Olympic weightlifter Pyrros Dimas.
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