Plato Academy Clearwater commemorates Greek “OHI” Day and Veterans Day 2025
Students at Plato Academy Clearwater united two nations’ histories of courage on October 24, bridging continents and generations through a concert celebrating both Veterans Day and Greece’s Ohi (“όχι”) Day.
The program wove together performances honoring American military service members with tributes to Greece’s 1940 resistance against Axis demands. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade presented traditional dances, songs, and historical recitations that illuminated parallel stories of defiance and sacrifice.
The celebration opened with both national anthems, establishing the dual focus that would carry through the morning. Fourth graders then paired with first graders for “Grand Old Flag”.
Musical performances ranged from recorder arrangements of “Johnny Comes Marching Home” to traditional Greek melodies. Fifth graders sang “Greece My Beautiful Country” (“Ελλάδα μου όμορφη”), while fourth graders performed the Kalamatianos, a circle dance symbolizing unity. The school’s Greek Dance Team presented regional dances including Thendritsi Thrakis and Baidousca Thrakis, showcasing Thrace’s cultural traditions.
Third graders delivered a particularly poignant segment, combining instruments and song with excerpts from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in their “Battle Hymn for Gettysburg” performance. The youngest participants, kindergarteners, contributed songs including a Veterans Day tribute titled “11/11.”
Student hosts Lucas, Eliana, and Reese guided the audience through the program’s thematic connections. They explained how Oxi Day, commemorating Greece’s October 28, 1940 refusal to surrender, mirrors the determination American veterans have shown throughout history. Both holidays, they noted, celebrate the courage required to defend freedom against formidable opposition.
The concert concluded with second graders performing “The Brave,” reinforcing the program’s central message that valor manifests in multiple forms across cultures and circumstances.
Such bilingual, bicultural programs serve multiple educational purposes beyond holiday observance. They provide students with direct connections to a heritage worth preserving while developing public speaking skills, musical abilities, and historical understanding. For Greek American communities, these celebrations maintain linguistic and cultural continuity across generations while demonstrating to the broader community the contributions of Greek culture to Western civilization.
Adding a visual dimension to the celebration, Ms. Emery’s art students contributed works dedicated to peace, displayed throughout the venue. The pieces reflected the program’s central themes of courage and freedom, offering a contemplative counterpoint to the performances.
The event reflected a growing trend in dual-heritage education, where Plato Academy balances American civic education with Hellenic cultural preservation. By pairing Veterans Day with Oxi Day, the program allowed students to see their two cultures not as competing loyalties but as complementary sources of strength and perspective.
