Ohi Day speech template (Greece)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Ohi Day, named after the Greek word for 'no', is marked on 28 October. It commemorates Greece's rejection, in the early hours of 28 October 1940, of an ultimatum from Fascist Italy demanding that Italian troops be allowed to enter Greek territory. Greece was drawn into the Second World War, and its forces pushed back the invasion that followed. It is a public holiday, marked with school and military parades, flags on balconies and wreaths at war memorials.
- Date
- October 28
- Next dates
- Wednesday 28 October 2026
Thursday 28 October 2027
Saturday 28 October 2028 - Country
- Greece
- Tone
- Reflective
- Typical events
- School assemblies and parades, ceremonies at war memorials, Greek embassies and diaspora communities, veterans' groups and cultural associations on or around 28 October.
- Length
- 182 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Ohi Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- GOOD MORNING1 / 4
Good morning, everyone. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} thank you for joining us to mark Ohi Day. A single short word gives this day its name. This morning we reflect on why that word still matters to Greeks, more than eight decades later. - THE ANSWER WAS NO2 / 4
Before dawn on 28 October 1940, Fascist Italy demanded that its troops be allowed into Greece. The answer was no. Within hours the country was at war. Through a harsh winter in the mountains, Greek soldiers pushed the invasion back, supported by ordinary people across the country. - A FEW WORDS FROM OUR GUEST3 / 4
To help us reflect on what that refusal meant, I invite {Guest speaker, title} to say a few words.
[GUEST SPEAKER]
Thank you. Courage is not only found on battlefields. Very often it is found in ordinary people who simply refuse to give in. - A WREATH AND THE ANTHEM4 / 4
We now lay a wreath in memory of all who served and suffered in those years. Please stand.
[WREATH LAYING, THEN NATIONAL ANTHEM]
Thank you. Please be seated, and thank you all for being here. As you leave, take a moment to think about the quiet strength it takes to say no.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- Ohi Day is reflective rather than festive. Display the Greek flag, keep applause to a minimum and choose calm music; a simple wreath suits the mood better than balloons or party decorations.
- Present the day as a story of courage under threat, and avoid wording that blames any nation today, so that guests of every background, including Italian guests, feel welcome.
- School parades are central to the day in Greece. If pupils take part, give them a role, such as carrying the flag or laying the wreath, and keep the speeches short.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Αργίες \ Public holidays 2026 - Greece in the United Kingdom. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More Greece speech templates
- Greek Independence Day · March 25