Dear children, This year we mark 80 years since the beginning of World War II for our country and for the entire world. You may find it strange that on October 28th we celebrate the beginning of a struggle rather than its end, as we do with the liberation of 1821. It is a very fair question. Why do we celebrate the start of such a difficult period, a time of struggle, occupation and countless hardships for our country? And why don’t we celebrate the end of the war and the beginning of peace and freedom? Isn’t it more logical to celebrate joy rather than sorrow? The solution rather than the problem? Indeed, it is. We all prefer to remember the end of a difficulty rather than its beginning. However, our wise and resilient people know that there is no victory without struggle, no freedom without resistance, and no reward without effort. Since the time of Thucydides, Greeks have known that: Happiness means freedomAnd freedom means a strong soul. On October 28th we celebrate resistance and love for freedom, and we summarize all of this in a small word that defines what we are and what we are not: “No”. A simple word that children first use to claim autonomy from their parents, to show they are free and capable of having an opinion about their lives. The word a child later finds difficult to say among peers in order to stand apart when something does not feel right. The word that a parent says countless times to protect their child from what may seem harmless but is not. This small word is what our nation also said to the Italian ambassador on October 28th, 1940, when he demanded that Greece surrender without resistance, without war, and without courage. This celebration of “No” is the beginning of freedom. If you can say this small word and stand by it when it expresses who you are, you will always be free, honest, and true to yourself. That is why I encourage you to: Say no to whatever frightens you,to whatever prevents you from dreaming,to whatever others try to impose on you. No to pessimism,no to ignorance,no to passivity and indifference. Yes to freedom of choice,to knowledge,to the future,to love,to creation,to caring for our planet,and to compassion for our fellow human beings. In the war of 1940, Greeks proved to the world that heroes fight like Greeks. You come from those Greeks. Learn their history and uphold their principles and ideals. These will help you take your life into your own hands and open your own free paths. Happy holiday, children!Happy October 28th! Long live the “No”!
