Thousands of Orthodox Christians took part in a procession carrying the relics and icon of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr, patron saint of Thessaloniki, on October 25, ahead of the city’s main annual religious celebration. This year’s festivities were marked by the participation of the icon of the Mother of God of Hozoviotissa, brought from the Greek island of Amorgos, Greece’s public broadcaster ERT reported.

Before the procession, a festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of St. Demetrios, attended by 14 metropolitans. Clergy, government officials, military personnel, schoolchildren and artistic groups took part in the procession.

The city’s streets filled with pilgrims from across Greece and from Cyprus, Romania, Italy and Lebanon, who gathered to honor the city’s heavenly patron.

The procession passed through central Thessaloniki. Children’s choirs performed hymns in honor of St. Demetrios, while municipal, police and armed forces bands provided musical accompaniment.

The icon of the Mother of God of Hozoviotissa was brought from the monastery of the same name on Amorgos, an island in the Aegean Sea. Its presence added special significance to the celebrations, bringing together one of Greece’s renowned Marian icons and the relics of Thessaloniki’s patron saint.

October 26 marks the principal day of the annual celebrations in honor of St. Demetrios. A solemn service is scheduled at the church, with the participation of Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas and senior government officials.

The occasion holds significance beyond the religious calendar. October 26 also marks the 114th anniversary of Thessaloniki’s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1912. Commemorative and cultural events take place throughout the city in late October, ahead of Greece’s national holiday on October 28.