Salute on Lycabettus Hill: The Tradition Adopted from the British Navy

As dawn broke, celebrations for the national anniversary began with gun salutes at one of Athens’ highest points, Lycabettus Hill. At precisely 6:21 AM, the first cannon shot echoed across the city from the Lycabettus artillery station, followed by 20 more in accordance with established protocol. At 10:01 AM, another series of 21 celebratory shots were fired. This tradition, originating from the British Navy, was first adopted in Greece in 1838. In the British Navy, warships entering a peaceful or British harbor had to empty their cannons as a gesture of goodwill. Since each ship’s seven cannons could fire three rounds, this resulted in the 21-gun salute. The custom traveled to Greece due to strong ties between the Greek and British navies, especially since Britain supported the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in the 1820s, notably through the Battle of Navarino.