March 25 is Greek Independence Day and Saint John's celebrates it with a program by the parish children. They recite Greek poems and have observances about the heroes and major battles manifesting to Independence Day. The program closes by all proudly singing the Greek National Anthem, both by those of Greek and non-Greek heritage.

Greek National Anthem ...Coming Soon...

Greek National Anthem: English Translation
We knew thee of old,
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes
And the light of thy Sword

From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!

(repeat previous two lines three times)

Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn,
Awaiting some voice
That should bid thee return.

Ah, slow broke that day
And no man dared call,
For the shadow of tyranny
Lay over all:

And we saw thee sad-eyed,
The tears on thy cheeks
While thy raiment was dyed
In the blood of the Greeks.

Yet, behold now thy sons
With impetuous breath
Go forth to the fight
Seeking Freedom or Death.

From the graves of our slain,
Shall thy valour prevail,
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!

(repeat previous two lines three times)

A Brief History of the Grecian Flag

The colors and pattern of the Greek Flag have not changed much since the Revolution in 1821.

The number of lines is based on the number of syllables in the Greek phrase for Freedom or Death.

"Freedom or Death" was the motto during the years of the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman empire. The number of lines is nine which also is the number of letters in the Greek word for Freedom.

The line pattern was chosen because of its similarity with the wavy sea that surrounds the shores of Greece. The interchange of blue and white makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day look like the Aegean Sea. During the War for Independence, Greek sailors also wore blue and white.

The Greek square cross in the upper left side represents the respect and devotion that the Greek people have for the Church, and signifies the important role of Christianity in the formation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the Ottoman rule, the Church helped the Greeks retain the Greek language, their religion, and their ethnic identity, by instituting hidden schools.