Greece Celebrates August Full Moon With Free Events Countrywide

Greece is welcoming this month’s full moon on Friday with a series of free events at sites, museums and landmarks, the Culture Ministry announced this week.

True to tradition, the annual celebration marking the August full moon will feature concerts, theater and dance performances, poetry readings, stargazing and tours at dozens of archeological sites, museums and modern monuments across the country. This year, additional events have also been planned for August 11, 13, 19, 20 and 27.

A central theme this year focuses on the 100-year anniversary since the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922 which led to the forced displacement of some 1.5 million Greeks living in Turkey, and who fled to mainland Greece under horrific conditions.

To mark the day of remembrance, the ministry has this year selected a 1919 photo by Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas for its central poster (see above) depicting the tragedy of displacement and war.

Acropolis Museum, Athens. Photo source: Paris Tavitian

On the same day, Friday, August 12, the Acropolis Museum in Athens will host a special ‘full moon’ event featuring the Hellenic Air Force Band in the museum’s courtyard starting at 9pm.

Sites open to the public on Friday, include the Evros Byzantine Museum, the Archaeological Museum of Alexandroupolis, the Archaeological Museum of Philippi, the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the Ancient Theater of Mieza, the Tsiatsiapa Mansion in Kastoria, the Archaeological site of Dodoni, Archaeological Site of Nicopolis – Odeum, the Castle of Parga, the Byzantine Castle of Trikala, the Archaeological site of the Roman and Medieval Aqueducts of Patra, the Archaeological Site of Olympia, the Temple of Apollo Epicurius and many more.

The 2022 program is organized by the ministry’s General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in collaboration with local governments and heritage associations.

Find the complete program of events and locations here.