St. Dmitry's Day
Description:
He was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki, held a military post - was a local military commander whose duties included protecting the city from raids by "barbarians" and oppressing Christians. But since Demetrius’ parents were secret Christians, the military commander himself became a preacher of Christianity, while continuing to fulfill his military duty with dignity.
For his Christian activities, Dmitry was killed, and his body was given to wild beasts. Naturally, he was soon canonized as a holy martyr, and his relics became sacred. At the same time, this saint is considered the patron saint of Thessaloniki, a city where there are especially many immigrants from the countries of the former USSR. This city was founded by the king of Macedonia Cassander in 315 BC, some time after the death of Alexander the Great in Babylon and named Cassander in honor of his wife, the half-sister of Alexander the Great - Thessalonica. And the name of the city still sounds like that - Thessaloniki, the locals usually politely correct visitors, if they pronounce this word without a particle of "fes".
On the holiday of the patron of the city, a carnival is arranged, music is played everywhere, theater performances are held, young wine is drunk everywhere. Citizens remember their patron and the day, October 26, 1912, when at the beginning of the 1st Balkan War, the day of the feast of the patron saint of the city of St. Dmitry, the Greek army, with the active assistance of local residents, liberated Thessaloniki from the Turks and annexed the city to Greece, putting an end to the centuries-old Ottoman yoke.