By Rhonda Massad
www.thesuburban.com
Abord à Plouffe Councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis wants to bring the Greek Independence Day parade to Laval next year, to coincide with the City of Laval’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
According to the 2011 census, Greeks make up 10 percent of Laval’s population.
“It is a great way to celebrate independence and highlight the Greek community’s contribution to Laval, said Karidogiannis told The Suburban in an interview.
“The mayor loves the idea,” Karidogiannis said. “We have been, are and will continue to be an integral force in the city’s development.”
Greeks celebrate the anniversary of their country of origin’s independence every March 25. To recognize this special occasion, each year Montreal’s Hellenic and Greek Orthodox communities and the Hellenic Federation of Parents and Guardians join together to celebrate.
Their Greek Independence Day parade always follows hot on the heels of the Irish community’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
First celebrated in 1821, this parade includes students from numerous Greek schools such as Socrates, and Demostenes as well as many church groups. It serves to remind Greeks of the day that they achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire.
The flag of Greece has not changed since that revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.The white cross in the upper left hand corner covering one fourth of the flag acknowledges the role that the Greek Orthodox Church played in helping to found the Hellenic nation. It is accompanied by nine stripes, each of which represents a letter in the Greek word for freedom, eleftheria: ελευθερία
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