You can tell that there is going to be a parade in Polemi, because you will hear them practicing the drums in the days running up to it. Last year we had filmed the parade in Paphos, so this year I thought it would be nice to see what a village one was like instead. We walked to the village centre to get a good view of the proceedings. There was a microphone stand opposite us, though I don't think it was actually used.

There was no sign of any marching yet, so I walked down to the church, where the walkers were gathering.

Greeks and Cypriots are justifiably proud of Ochi Day. If you don't know the history, here is a quick summary. Italy demanded that they be allowed to cross Greece's territory, or else there would be war. Greece responded with a resounding NO, though the actual words were something like "Then it is war". Italy had assumed it would be a walkover, but the Greeks fought ferociously. So much so, that Germany had to delay its assault on Moscow and assist Italy in their conquest. Indeed, a famous quote of Churchill was "Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks".

Now, that is all well and good. But why is it so important? Well, because Germany was distracted from attacking Moscow, it meant that the Russian invasion was delayed until the Winter. The weather deteriorated to such an extent that the attack failed. Had it not been for Greece's resistance, then Germany could well have overwhelmed Russia, and the outcome of the Second World War could have been different.

So Greeks and Cypriots have every right to celebrate Ochi Day. I mantion this because the usual keyboard warriors were trying to downplay it online, and I thought I would respond with a few facts.

Anyway, it became apparent that the parade was about to start, so I returned to my vantage point on the main road. The drums started up and we cold soon see them marching up the road. They stopped opposite the Charity Shop, but carried on drumming. This way all the marchers would hear the rhythm as the parade got into full swing.