The studies in this collective volume investigate the management of memory and history, focusing on critical aspects of two established national anniversaries (March 25 and October 28), while also extending the discussion to the Polytechnic uprising, the restoration of democracy in 1974, the Holocaust, the Liberation of 1944, and the memory of World War I.
Through the rituals of national anniversaries (parades, celebrations, events, etc.), the sense of a common past is instilled in Greek society, and its national identity and unity are strengthened. Therefore, national anniversaries refer to the most crucial of the heroic events in history, such as March 25 and October 28. In contrast, divisive episodes, such as the civil war, have little chance of being established as national holidays. However, in the last three decades, besides the glorious pages, certain collective traumas of violence and displacement have also found a place in the national calendar: moments that highlight the nation as a victim of barbaric foreigners, such as May 19 and September 14, days of remembrance for "the genocide of the Greeks of Pontus" and the Asia Minor Catastrophe, respectively.
National anniversaries also provide the state authority with the opportunity to enhance its image and legitimacy. The hierarchical relationship between authority and the masses emerges from the very architecture and ritual of the celebrations, while military parades epitomize the display of military power in the public sphere. In conclusion, established ceremonies compose a public iconography with high symbolic value: they demonstrate the vitality of the nation, mobilize feelings of identification and pride, project state power, and call for rallying around authority.
Number of pages
272
Cover
Soft
Year of publication
2023
Publisher
Alexandreia
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